For Release: Wednesday, September 8, 2004

DEC Closes Several Shellfishing Areas in Nassau and Suffolk

Closures Follow Extremely Heavy Rainfall

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it has designated several shellfish harvesting areas in Nassau and Suffolk Counties as closed to shellfishing. These temporary emergency closures follow the excessive runoff from the extraordinary rainfall that occurred on September 8, 2004. This designation is effective immediately and remains in effect through Wednesday, September 15, 2004. The following areas are designated as uncertified and the harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited:

Town of Hempstead: All shellfish lands in the Town of Hempstead;
Town of Oyster Bay: All shellfish lands in South Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Harbor and southern Cold Spring Harbor;
Town of Huntington: All shellfish lands in southern Huntington Bay, southern Cold Spring Harbor and all of Lloyd Harbor, Northport Bay, Duck Island Harbor and Centerport Harbor;
Town of Smithtown: All shellfish lands in the Town of Smithtown;
Town of Brookhaven (north shore): All shellfish lands within Stony Brook Harbor, Flax Pond, Port Jefferson Harbor and Mount Sinai Harbor.

This action was taken to protect public health following the heavy rains and excessive stormwater runoff associated with the intense rain event which occurred during the early morning hours of September 8, 2004. Rainfall in all the affected areas exceeded three inches and more than four inches was recorded in some locations. The extraordinary volume of stormwater runoff may cause shellfish in the affected areas to be hazardous for use as food.

DEC will re-open areas as soon as possible based on the results of bacteriological analyses of water samples that will be collected during the next several days. A taped message advising harvesters of the status of these shellfish areas may be heard at (631) 444-0480. The message will be updated during the course of the temporary closures.

04-107