Rubbish on LBI beaches

Saturday on Long Beach Island was a picture-perfect day, but not necessarily at the beach. The Long Beach Island Health Department shut down access to the shore in Ship Bottom, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Barnegat Light and even North Beach Haven, after many lifeguards found medical waste, including insulin syringes and other debris, such as rotten wood and plastics, at the water’s edge on the first day the beaches were guarded.

The waste began to appear between Saturday’s high tide at 6 a.m. and low tide at 12:18 p.m. Lifeguards assembled the needles they found and placed them in plastic biohazard canisters. Swimming in the ocean and standing below the high tide line was restricted around 12:30 p.m.

Photo via Jay Mann

The beaches reopened on Sunday after the Health Department and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection surveyed the shore after high tide on Saturday and again early the next morning. LBI’s southern beaches were also checked since strong currents tend to carry waste southward. Nearly 50 syringes were found.

Authorities said the waste was a result of an overflow from storm water control systems from the New York-New Jersey wharf, which had been burdened by heavy rain last week and tremendous high tides. None of the rubbish is thought to have derived from the Island, which does not have storm drains that are connected in any way to the sanitary sewer system. 

Officials warned that small quantities of further objects could perhaps emerge. The public should inform a lifeguard or local police officer if they come across any type of medical waste on the beach. A hotline is also available through the DEP at 1-877-WARN-DEP. No more waste has been reported thus far.