For Release: Friday, July 24, 2009
DEC Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas in Two East End Towns on Long Island
Shellfish Closures Follow Heavy Rainfall
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it has designated shellfish harvesting areas in Southampton and East Hampton as temporarily closed to shellfishing. These temporary emergency closures are in response to the extraordinary volume of stormwater runoff caused by locally heavy rainfall that affected Long Island on July 23, 2009, and continuing overnight into the early morning hours of July 24.
The following areas have been designated as uncertified effective today, July 24. The harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited through Friday, July 31:
Town of Southampton: All of Sag Harbor and its tributaries.
Town of East Hampton: All of Sag Harbor, including a portion of outer Sag Harbor lying easterly of the large stone breakwater; all of Montauk Lake (Montauk Harbor); and the southeasterly portion of Northwest Harbor.
This precautionary action was taken to protect public health following the unusually heavy rainfall event that affected Long Island on Thursday. Rainfall was measured in excess of three inches in all the affected areas . The extraordinary volume of stormwater runoff may cause shellfish in the affected areas to be hazardous for use as food.
A recorded message advising harvesters of the status of these shellfish areas may be heard at (631) 444-0480. Detailed descriptions of the closure lines in outer Sag Harbor and Northwest Harbor are included in the recorded message. The message will be updated during the course of the temporary closures.
DEC will reopen areas as soon as possible based on the results of bacteriological analyses of water samples that will be collected next week.
