Even if the beaches on the Maryland coast were open, you would not want to end your summer with a trip to their waters. The shores are apparently clogged with “medical waste,” and authorities have shut down the beaches as of Sunday, September 15.
Officials say that medical waste such as syringes and needles, but no one is certain where they came from, or why so much of the waste started turning up on beaches Sunday morning. The agency Maryland State Parks announced on social media that all beaches on the Maryland side of Assateague State Park would close before noon on Sunday.
Then, public officials with Ocean city and Assateague Island Seashore followed up with beach-closure announcements. Ocean City’s Emergency Services division said it was “actively addressing” the amount of medical trash that is coming ashore. For the safety of residents and tourists, the division closed the beaches and urges everyone to respect that closure for the sake of their health. Officials say anyone who walks on beaches should stay out of the water and wear shoes to protect themselves from getting jabbed by used syringes.
So far, no one has reported any injuries or sickness.
Assateague Island National Seashore—a U.S. National Park—announced that Chincoteague Public Beach would also close because of the waste washing ashore. In a FAQ posted online, the park answered several questions from potential visitors about what’s going on.
- The matter coming onshore is a combination of trash and medical waste, including used needles
- The waste began washing in Sunday morning; no one who swam before that should be worried
- The park does not know where the waste is coming from and won’t speculate about it until someone finds out
- There is no word on how long the beaches will be closed. Officials are waiting to see if more waste is going to wash onto the land, and they don’t know how long it will take to clean up.
- Volunteer offers are appreciated, but will not be accepted for cleanup yet
- The problem extends from Fenwick Island to Chincoteague
Beaches in Virginia and Delaware are also closed due to the medical waste.
