| Broken
Wastewater Pipe Closes Shellfish Beds in Barnegat Bay
About 7,000 acres affected
(03/158) TRENTON - The
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) temporarily
closed about 7,000 acres of Barnegat Bay to shellfishing
effective today in order to protect public health after
a break was discovered in the wastewater discharge line
from the Ocean County Utilities Authority treatment plant.
DEP Deputy Commissioner Joanna Dunn Samson
ordered the shellfish beds closed today, immediately after
the department confirmed the break.
The ruptured section of pipe is off Berkeley
Township in Barnegat Bay beneath 8 feet of water and 4 to
6 feet of sediment. The 56-inch diameter pipe carries treated
wastewater into the ocean.
Once repairs are completed, shellfish beds
will remain closed for 30 days to allow shellfish to purge
themselves of contaminants.
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