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Oyster Bay Sewage Spill Closes 6 Beaches, 2 Shellfisheries

Bayville Beach
A beach in Bayville, overlooking the Long Island Sound on May, 15 2010. (Photo by Mike LoCascio)

An Oyster Bay village sewage plant spill forced the Nassau County Department of Health to ban swimming of a half dozen North Shore beaches on the first day of Memorial Day Weekend.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also issued a temporary emergency closure Friday of shellfisheries in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring harbors following the release of partially treated sewage and sludge, officials from both agencies said.

The closed beaches include four in Bayville—Centre Island Bay, Centre Island Sound, Soundside Beach and West Harbor Beach—as well as Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay and Laurel Hollow Beach in Laurel Hollow, according to the health department.

Shell fishing was additionally banned because the conditions could cause shellfish to be hazardous for use as food and unfit for human consumption, according to an alert issued by the DEC’s Bureau of Marine Resources chief.

Both swimming and shell fishing will remain banned until officials deem the water safe.

The Health Department said residents can call 516-227-9700 for up-to-date recorded information on beach closings and openings