What to Know
- Delaware officials have reopened the Rehoboth Bay to shellfish harvesting after a 21-day emergency closure prompted by a spill of thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater from a residential sewer line.
- The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced the end of the moratorium on harvesting oysters, clams and mussels on Tuesday.
- The shellfish harvest was closed because of the potential public health risk from shellfish that may have been affected by the spill.
Delaware officials announced the reopening of the Rehoboth Bay to shellfish harvesting Tuesday after a 21-day emergency closure prompted by a spill of thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater from a residential sewer line.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control first announced the moratorium on harvesting oysters, clams and mussels on Dec. 28. Officials said untreated wastewater was discharged into the bay when a plumbing contractor cut a sewer line in Mariner’s Cove mobile home park in the Long Neck area, The News Journal reported.
The shellfish harvest was closed because of the potential public health risk from shellfish that may have been affected by the spill. Following U.S. Food and Drug Administration Guidelines under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, officials determined that 21 days allowed for an abundance of caution for public protection against pathogens of concern, that might be associated with wastewater exposure.
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