For Release: Thursday, November 6, 2008
DEC Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas in East Bay in the Town of Hempstead
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it has designated certain shellfish harvesting areas within the Town of Hempstead as temporarily closed to shellfishing. The temporary emergency closures went into effect today, Nov. 6, and run through Nov. 13, 2008.
The closure follows a malfunction at the Wantagh-Cedar Creek sewage treatment facility. The facility reported an overnight bypass of untreated sewage that overflowed onto the grounds of the facility. The overflow entered storm drains which discharge into Cedar Creek and the East Bay portion of Hempstead Bay. Today's closure affects the 500 acres of shellfishing areas recently opened to year-round harvest in the northern portion of East Bay, in addition to another several hundred acres.
The following areas has been designated as uncertified (closed) and the harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited through Thursday, Nov. 13:
- Town of Hempstead: All shellfish lands within East Bay (Hempstead Bay) lying between the Meadowbrook Parkway and Wantagh Parkway.
This action was taken to protect public health. Untreated sewage carries bacteria and viruses which 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 closure.
