For Release: Thursday, October 12, 2006
DEC Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas in Suffolk County
Shellfish Closures Follow Heavy Rainfall
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it has designated certain shellfish harvesting areas in Suffolk County as temporarily closed to shellfishing. These temporary emergency closures are in response to the extraordinary stormwater runoff caused by the heavy rainfall that occurred on October 11 through October 12, 2006.
The following areas were designated as uncertified on Thursday, October 12, and the harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited through October 19:
- Towns of Babylon and Islip: All of Great South Bay west of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridges.
- Towns of Islip and Brookhaven (south shore): The northern portions of Great South Bay, including Nicoll Bay and Patchogue Bay.
This action was taken to protect public health following the unusually heavy rainfall event that affected Long Island on October 11 through October 12, 2006. Rainfall exceeded three inches in the affected areas. 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 week. 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.
