News from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

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

DEC Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas in Eastern Suffolk County

Shellfish Closures Follow Heavy Rainfall

ALBANY, NY (07/28/2008; 1151)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it has designated shellfish harvesting areas in eastern Suffolk County as temporarily closed to shellfishing. These temporary emergency closures are in response to the extraordinary volume of storm water runoff caused by locally heavy rainfall that affected Long Island throughout the day on Sunday, July 27.

The following areas have been designated as uncertified effective today, July 28, 2008 and the harvest of shellfish is temporarily prohibited through Monday, August 4, 2008:

Town of Shelter Island: All shellfish lands within the Town of Shelter Island, including Coelces Harbor, West Neck Bay, West Neck Creek and West Neck Harbor and their tributaries

Town of Southampton: All of Cold Spring Pond, the Sebonac Creeks, Wooley Pond, Fresh Pond, North Sea Harbor, Noyac Creeks and Mill Pond; and, all that area of Moriches Bay, Quantuck Bay, Quantuck Canal and Shinnecock Bay and their tributaries.

Town of Brookhaven (south shore): The easterly portion of Moriches Bay, lying east of Tuthill Point and Moriches Inlet.

This precautionary action was taken to protect public health following the unusually heavy rainfall event that affected Long Island yesterday. Rainfall was measured in excess of three inches in all the affected areas and exceeded four inches in some portions of Southampton. 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.

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