Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

A day after a failed system released more than a half-million gallons of treated sewage into the Providence River, the state has declared the waters safe for shellfishing.

The Department of Environmental Management announced today that Conditional Area A, in upper Narragansett Bay, is open for shellfishing, effective immediately.

The area was closed yesterday after a chlorination system at the Narragansett Bay Commission's Fields Point Wastewater Treatment Facility failed. More than 500,000 gallons of treated, but inadequately disinfected, sewage was emptied into the river.

Labor Day weekend is traditionally an important time for commercial shellfisherman because of consumer demand. To find out which areas are open and which are closed, call DEM's 24-hour shellfishing hotlince at 222-2900.

The reopened area: north of a line from the southeast corner of the Rocky Point pier in Warwick to the southwest (landward) corner of the Colt State Park pier in Bristol, south of a line from Adams Point in Barrington to Jacobs Point in Warren, and south of a line from Conimicut Point to Conimicut light and then to Old Tower at Nayatt Point including the waters of the Mill Gut in their entirety.

Download a .PDF map of shellfishing areas around the state.

 Tags  DEM wastewater

Comments

K said:

Yummy!! Who in the DEM wants to be the first one to attend a clambake this weekend?

Link | August 27, 2008 4:43 PM
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