Officials ban swimming after medical waste washes ashore in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware
OCEAN CITY, Maryland — Officials warned people to stay out of the ocean at several beaches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia after they said medical waste, including syringes, washed ashore. The source of the waste is under investigation.
Authorities banned swimming, wading and surfing at Assateague State Park Sunday morning after Maryland Park Service rangers found several needles, needle caps, feminine hygiene products and cigar tips on the beach, Maryland Department of Natural Resources spokesman Gregg Bortz said in an email.
A few more needles were found on Monday and the ban on swimming in the ocean in the park remains in effect, 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 is safe for people to enter the water.
All oceanfront beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia were closed to swimming and wading.
Maryland’s Division of Emergency Management raised the state’s activation level to “partial” in support of the incident.
In Ocean City, Maryland, the beach patrol temporarily banned swimming Sunday after medical waste was found on the city’s beaches. Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald stressed in a statement that the situation was serious and said city officials were working with the Worcester County Health Department to investigate the source.
“Until we are sure the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean completely,” he said.
By Monday afternoon, Theobald said the amount of debris had “significantly diminished.” The city continued to monitor the situation, especially as the next flood cycles approached Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control advised beachgoers to avoid beaches from the Indian River Inlet to Fenwick Island and not to swim Sunday afternoon after reports of trash washing up on nearby Maryland beaches, the agency said in a statement. The department confirmed only minimal trash on Delaware beaches, including plastic bottle caps and a single needle found near Dewey Beach.
“Despite the low level of debris 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 city officials.
Delaware’s Dewey Beach temporarily banned swimming in the ocean on Sunday. In an update Monday, the city said it was continuing to address the issue. Fenwick Island officials closed the beach to swimming on Sunday and said in a statement that the beaches would be inspected again Monday night and Tuesday morning before making a decision on reopening.