News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

For more information contact: Mauren Wren, 518-402-8000

DEC Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas in Certain Suffolk County Towns

Precautionary Shellfish Closures Due to Anticipated Rain from Tropical Storm Kyle

ALBANY, NY (09/26/2008; 1650)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it will designate certain shellfish harvesting areas within Suffolk County as temporarily closed to shellfishing. These temporary emergency closures will go into effect on Saturday, September 27, 2008. The closures are a precautionary action due to the expectation of extraordinary amounts of storm water runoff caused by the heavy rainfall associated with an unnamed coastal storm and Tropical Storm Kyle.

This precautionary action was taken to protect public health. An extraordinary volume of stormwater runoff carries bacteria and viruses which may cause shellfish in the affected areas to be hazardous for use as food.

The following areas will be designated as uncertified (closed) effective at sunrise on Saturday, September 27, and the harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited through Saturday, October 4, 2008. A decision for additional closures in other towns is likely to be made tomorrow morning when we get rainfall readings. Notifications about additional closures will be made as necessary and can be found by calling DEC's Emergency Closure Hotline at (631) 444-0480.

• Town of Southampton: All shellfish lands within the Town of Southampton, including all of Flanders Bay, Red Creek Pond, Squire Pond, Cold Spring Pond, North Sea Harbor, Noyac Creek, all that area of Sag Harbor and its tributaries AND; all that area of Moriches Bay, and Shinnecock Bay and their tributaries.

• Town of Southold: All the shellfish lands within the Town of Southold, excluding Fishers Island, and that portion of Cutchogue Harbor lying north of a line extending northeast from New Suffolk Point to the northernmost point of land at Horseshoe Cove, and their tributaries.

• Town of Shelter Island: All shellfish lands within the Town of Shelter Island, including Coecles Harbor, West Neck Bay, West Neck Creek and West Neck Harbor.

• Town of East Hampton: All shellfish lands within the Town of East Hampton, including all of Three Mile Harbor, Hog Creek, Acabonac Harbor, Napeague Harbor, Montauk Harbor (Montauk Lake), Sag Harbor and its tributaries lying south of a line extending easterly from the northernmost tip of the large stone breakwater in the outer portion of Sag Harbor, to the northernmost tip of Barcelona Point and all that area of Northwest Harbor lying southeast of a line extending northeasterly from the westernmost point of land, at the entrance to Northwest Creek to the foot of Mile Hill Road.

• Town of Brookhaven: All shellfish lands within Moriches Bay and its tributaries.

After Tropical Storm Kyle passes the area, DEC's shellfisheries program will collect rainfall information from around Long Island. Areas affected by less than three (3) inches of rainfall will be reopened. Those areas affected by more than three inches of rainfall will remain closed and will be reopened based on DEC's examination of water samples that will be collected and examined beginning on Monday, Sept. 29.

DEC will reopen 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.

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