Current:Home > ContactOfficials ban swimming after medical waste washes ashore in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware -TradeStation
Officials ban swimming after medical waste washes ashore in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:50:38
OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — Officials warned people to stay out of the ocean at several beaches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia after they said medical waste, including hypodermic needles, washed ashore. The source of the waste was under investigation.
Officials banned swimming, wading and surfing at Assateague State Park Sunday morning after Maryland Park Service rangers found several needles and needle caps, feminine hygiene products and cigar tips along the beach, Maryland Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Gregg Bortz said in an email.
A few more needles were found Monday and the ban on swimming in the ocean continued at the park, he said.
There have been no reports of injuries or people encountering these items while swimming, Bortz said. The department was working with other local, state, and federal agencies to determine when it’s safe for people to enter the water.
All of Assateague Island National Seashore’s ocean-facing beaches in Maryland and Virginia were closed to swimming and wading.
Maryland’s Department of Emergency Management raised its state activation level to “partial” in support of the incident.
In Ocean City, Maryland, the beach patrol temporarily banned swimming Sunday after discovering medical waste on town beaches. Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald stressed in a statement that the situation was serious and said town officials were working with the Worcester County Health Department to investigate the source.
“Until we are confident that the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely,” he said.
On Monday afternoon, Theobald said the amount of debris had “significantly decreased.” The town was continuing to monitor the situation, particularly as the next high tide cycles approached Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control advised beachgoers to leave the beaches from the Indian River inlet to Fenwick Island Sunday afternoon and to refrain from swimming after reports of waste washing ashore on nearby Maryland beaches, the agency said in a statement. The department confirmed only minimal waste on Delaware beaches, including plastic caps and a single needle found near Dewey Beach.
“Despite the low level of waste observed, DNREC is taking the situation seriously and advising caution,” the agency said in a statement. The department maintains Delaware’s two state park beaches, but decisions about municipal beaches are up to town officials.
Delaware’s Dewey Beach temporarily barred swimming in the ocean Sunday. In an update Monday, the town said it was continuing to address the issue. Fenwick Island officials closed the beach for swimming Sunday and said in a statement that beaches would be inspected again late Monday and on Tuesday morning before a decision would be made on reopening.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- 2 arrested in deadly attack on homeless man sleeping in NYC parking lot
- TikToker Taylor Rousseau Grigg Laid to Rest After Death at 25
- Tesla unveils Cybercab driverless model in 'We, Robot' event
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Dodgers vs. Padres predictions: Picks for winner-take-all NLDS Game 5
- Golden Bachelorette's Guy Gansert Addresses Ex's Past Restraining Order Filing
- Kylie Jenner Shares Proof Big Girl Stormi Webster Grew Up Lightning Fast
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Colorado officer who killed Black man holding cellphone mistaken for gun won’t be prosecuted
Ranking
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- A Year After Historic Civil Rights Settlement, Alabama Slowly Bringing Sanitation Equity to Rural Black Communities
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Double Date With Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in Style
- US Justice Department says Virginia is illegally striking voters off the rolls in new lawsuit
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- TikTok was aware of risks kids and teens face on its platform, legal document alleges
- Taco Bell returns Double Decker Tacos to its menu for limited time. When to get them
- Watch: Rick Pitino returns to 'Camelot' for Kentucky Big Blue Madness event
Recommendation
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Fisher-Price recalls over 2 million ‘Snuga Swings’ following the deaths of 5 infants
Changing OpenAI’s nonprofit structure would raise questions about its future
TikTok was aware of risks kids and teens face on its platform, legal document alleges
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Pregnant Elle King Shares Update on Her Relationship With Dad Rob Schneider
Climate Change Made Hurricane Milton Stronger, With Heavier Rain, Scientists Conclude
Tampa Bay Times keeps publishing despite a Milton crane collapse cutting off access to newsroom