WBAL reported that medical waste has been washing up on the East Coast along the Delaware Peninsula from Delaware to Virginia since September 14, citing local authorities.
City officials warned people to use caution on the beach and to stay out of the water after used syringes, tampons and cigar butts were found on the shoreline. World Bar.
The waste has raised eyebrows among beachgoers visiting the popular tourist destination of Ocean City, Maryland.
“I'm very concerned. It's not healthy,” Harry told WBAL during a visit to Ocean City. (Related article: Thousands of poisonous sea creatures wash up on Texas beach)
Medical waste washes up on shorelines in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware https://t.co/6TeOimSKPf
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) September 16, 2024
According to the media, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) raised the alert level to “partial” and began providing materials for beach cleanups.
“We are working closely with our federal, state and local partners, as well as officials in other affected states,” MDEM said in a Sept. 16 post. Twitter.
“We found what we call medical waste, primarily used needles. We also found a lot of feminine hygiene products and plastic debris,” said Hugh Hawthorne, manager of Assateague Island National Seashore. united states of america.
Medical waste has washed up on Ocean City's shoreline. The ocean is currently closed to swimming and surfing while emergency management investigates the cause. Rangers have found mostly used hypodermic needles, used tampon applicators, and cigar ends. Video by Eric Wong Follow pic.twitter.com/zRv7zOTMtA
—Tommie Clark (@TommieClarkWBAL) September 16, 2024
Town and health officials are investigating and acknowledged they don't know where the waste is coming from, WBAL reported.
“We're going to be working with our state partners to see if we can pinpoint where it's coming from. Again, it's very difficult to pinpoint the source at this stage because it's so widespread,” Ocean City Mayor Terry McGeean said.
The cleanup was successful, with most Maryland and Delaware beaches reopening over the weekend of September 21 and 22, but questions about the source of the waste and who is responsible continue to plague officials, WUSA9 reported.
Delaware officials warned beachgoers to wear closed-toe shoes and be mindful of medical waste, according to WUSA9.
“The dust has died down around us, but we don't know if there's anything out there yet, so we want them to be aware of that,” Rehoboth Beach Police Capt. Jeff Giles told the outlet.
