EAST LYME, Conn.Health officials say several beaches in East Lyme will remain closed until tests show the water is safe, following a sewage spill totaling 15,000 to 20,000 gallons.

Ledge Light Health District Director Stephen Mansfield says test results on water samples collected Thursday morning should be available Friday afternoon. Until then, swimming is prohibited at McCook's Point, Hole in the Wall, Pine Grove, Oswegatchie and Crescent beaches.

Officials say a computer at a pumping station failed to activate a sewage pump on Wednesday afternoon. That caused the system to overflow from manhole covers and spill into a storm drain near the Niantic River.

Officials say the computer problem has been fixed.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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East Lyme beaches closed after sewage spill

All King County beaches have been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting until further notice after dangerous levels of so-called "red tide" toxin were detected.

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King County beaches closed to shellfish harvesting

The Irish Times - Saturday, July 21, 2012

GORDON DEEGAN

FEARS OVER a possible E.coli outbreak yesterday forced Clare County Council to ban swimming at three of the countys most popular beaches at Lahinch, Kilkee and Spanish Point.

The council made the move after trace levels of E.coli were found in water samples from the beaches on Wednesday.

Thousands of holidaymakers are expected to travel to the resorts this weekend with good weather forecast after weeks of poor conditions adversely affecting tourism businesses in the area.

However, public bathing notices and red flags confirming that swimming was prohibited were yesterday placed on all of the affected beaches, while the blue flags at Lahinch and Kilkee beaches have been temporarily removed.

The director of services with Clare County Council, Ann Haugh, said last night that the move to shut down swimming at the three beaches is unprecedented. It is very unfortunate, but public safety is paramount and we are unwilling to take any risks.

Lahinch is one of the most popular surf beaches in the country, with five surf schools operating in the water instructing hundreds of surfers every day.

Ms Haugh said that the swimming ban also included surfing. She confirmed it was a prohibition on entering the water.

Last night, Lahinch hotelier Michael Vaughan described the move as a shocking development.

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Swimming banned at Clare beaches

EAST LYME, Conn. (WTNH) It's safe to swim at East Lyme beaches again after a sewage spill totaling 15,000 to 20,000 gallons shut them down.

"Everything's okay," said Joseph Aseltine, beach-goer.

Are you glad to hear that," asked News 8's Tina Detelj

Yeah it's been a pretty nice day so far," said Aseltine.

Now the Hole in the Wall beach, along with four other swimming holes in East Lyme got the clean bill of health. Concerns rose when a computer glitch at a pump station failed and waste in a well was sent onto the street.

News 8 is told more than 15,000 gallons of sewage came up through the manhole cover and then flowed into the nearby catch basins. Just on the other side of the railroad tracks there is Niantic Bay.

The mishap didn't bury Ryan Knoechelman's plans. The latest water tests came up clean.

"It was a little chilly, but it's nice to be able to if you want to," said Knoechelman.

And come this weekend many will want to take a dip, especially with the annual Celebrate East Lyme day on tap.

"It wouldn't be the same to have the beaches closed, you know, it's kind of a gloomy outside to it," said Jack Giuliano, Giuliano's Bakery.

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Beaches reopen after sewage spill

MIDDLETOWN, R.I.Two area beaches are open again after Rhode Island health officials closed them for swimming.

The Health Department says on Thursday that the Atlantic Beach Club beach in Middletown and Fort Adams State Park beach in Newport are both open after water samples showed bacteria was back down to acceptable limits.

The state regularly tests the water at public beaches during the summer season to make sure that it's safe for swimming.

Water analysis is done by the health department or a laboratory certified by the state.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Middletown, Fort Adams beaches reopen to swimming

By Andy Thomason, Times Staff Writer Andy ThomasonTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, July 19, 2012

Tropical Storm Debby dissipated almost three weeks ago, but it may still be leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some Pinellas County beachgoers whether they know it or not.

The Pinellas County Health Department issued an advisory Wednesday declaring the water at five of Pinellas County's popular beaches a potential health risk due to high bacteria counts.

The culprit? Fecal matter that was washed from the land into the gulf by Debby's torrential rains.

Maggie Hall, public information director for the Health Department, said she doesn't recall a previous advisory involving so many local beaches. "Debby just drowned the state," she said.

The beaches named in the advisory are Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, Sand Key Park in Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach near the 1700 block of Gulf Boulevard, Archibald Park at Madeira Beach, and Redington Shores near 182nd Avenue W.

Hall didn't rule out the possibility of water at adjacent beaches also being contaminated.

While the beaches remain open, signs have been erected stating that swimming is not recommended because of "increased risk of illness."

Fecal contamination in the water can lead to infection or rashes, so children and people with compromised immune systems shouldn't get in the water. But the average person probably wouldn't get sick, Hall said.

"It's not going to kill you to be in water with a higher (bacteria) count, but it's just not very clean," she said.

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High bacteria levels prompt advisories at five Pinellas beaches

After considerable discussion on how to deal with the problem of seaweed on the beaches, the Scituate Board of Selectmen voted to adopt the Scituate Public Swim Beach Seaweed Removal Policy at their July 10 meeting.

The policy was developed by Scituate Department of Public Works (DPW) Director, Al Bangert; Scituate Conservation Agent Jim OConnell; Scituate Health Director, Jennifer Sullivan; and Scituate Recreation Director Jennifer Vitelli.

All were present at the July 10 meeting.

The purpose of this policy is to establish the protocol for removing seaweed and other debris from guarded public beaches during the summer swim season, Bangert explained. The policy must balance the desire of citizens to use the beaches for recreation purposes, with the environmental impact of modifying the natural processes of beach dynamics and foraging habitat for shorebirds and wildlife.

Sullivan said, All departments aired their concerns and limitations in developing this policy.

According to the policy, the recreation director and the director of public health will discuss the status of a beach with the conservation agent and together they will make the decision to activate a beach cleanup.

In terms of the method of seaweed removal, the DPW will obtain an Order of Conditions from the conservation commission for beach cleanup on public land.

The primary means of removal will entail using small machines with finger-like grabbles to minimize sand removal. A secondary means of removal will be using front-end loaders. A determination will be made of the approximate quantity of sand removed, and the beach will be re-nourished with an equal quantity of beach-compatible sand.

The removed material will be disposed of at the Bourne landfill, or other approved sites.

During the discussion on the issue at the July 10 selectmen meeting, Selectmen Chairman Joseph Norton said that the board is cognizant that Scituate is a beach community, so were very aware of the seaweed periodically building up on the beaches often takes care of itself.

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Scituate beaches: Seaweed issue prompts policy

All 17 beaches in the prefecture had been closed last summer amid concern over radioactive contamination following an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which wrecked Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and left almost 20,000 people dead.

Local authorities gave the all clear to Nakoso beach, 40 miles south of the nuclear power station, declaring the waters free of contamination. Officials said radiation detected in the water at the beach was negligible.

But on the same day as the beach was opened, tens of thousands of people rallied in Tokyo demanding that the government abandon nuclear power.

Crowds estimated at 200,000 gathered for a rally at Yoyogi Park in the capital.

Protesters expressed outrage over a report that blamed the Fukushima disaster on Japan's culture of "reflexive obedience" and held no individuals responsible.

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Fukushima beaches reopen for first time since nuclear disaster

A health advisory was issued for five Pinellas County beaches Wednesday after elevated levels of enteric bacteria were found in water sampling.

Honeymoon Island, Sand Key Park, Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach's Archibald Park and Redington Shores near 182nd Avenue West were listed in the advisory by the Pinellas County Health Department.

"These areas should be considered a potential health risk to swimmers," Maggie Hall, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a news release.

The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets, wildlife and sewage, the health department said. The bacteria may cause disease, infections or rashes.

The county conducts saltwater beach testing through the state's Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.

The advisory was based on the bacterial indicator recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA standard for the bacteria is no more than 104 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water.

The five beaches were given grades of "poor," meaning 105 units or greater were found, according to the monitoring program's website.

The sampling is for the period beginning Monday. Another sampling is slated for July 30.

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Health advisory issued for five Pinellas beaches

We thank the Bangor Daily News for its interest in the clean-water work of Environment Maine and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as outlined in the July 11 editorial Pull on the bikini and enjoy Maines clean beaches. We share the hope that Mainers will get out and enjoy the great beaches in the state this summer, and were working to make sure theyre informed about potential health risks when they do.

When beach water is contaminated with viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, it can make people sick if they swim. NRDCs report Testing the Waters summarizes data provided by states about beach closings and swimming advisories and sampling done to detect the presence of bacteria that indicate human or animal waste contamination. In 2011, approximately 9 percent of samples taken along Maines seashore were worse than the national recommended public health standard, which was slightly higher than the average contamination rate for the 30 coastal and Great Lakes states the report profiles.

Upon making the data public, Environment Maine and NRDC pointed out that the Maine Healthy Beaches program has been proactive in trying to identify sources of pollution to address beach contamination issues. And we highlighted that beach water is sampled near potential contamination sources a responsible practice, given that people swim in a variety of locations.

But we had constructive criticism for the program, which is that a beach advisory should be issued when a sample exceeds the relevant public health standard. Thats a precautionary approach to protect public health that is not routinely followed in Maine but is in other places. NRDCs report cites Georgia as one such state, for example.

We think its worth having a public conversation about Maines notification practices. We highlighted this issue because officials from Gov. LePages administration presented an incomplete picture of the safety of our beaches by emphasizing only how often beach advisories and closings were issued in 2011. Advisories and closings are not the best measure of beach water pollution, since the decision to issue them is a judgment call that looks at a variety of things. Indeed, if you take a comprehensive look at all of the water quality samples taken at the 50 Maine beaches that have monitored water quality in each of the last five years, the rate that bacterial levels exceeded the public health standard did not improve over the period.

Whats most important, however, is our agreement with the BDN that advocates and state and local officials need to work in partnership to address the key sources of beach pollution. We also need to push modernization of the health standards that are used for identifying contamination problems.

Because polluted runoff is the biggest known source of pollution that officials identify for swimming advisories or beach closings, state officials and the Environmental Protection Agency need to rigorously enforce existing clean water requirements to ensure that runoff is controlled using innovative solutions known as green infrastructure that enable communities to naturally absorb or use runoff before it causes problems. Smart green infrastructure policies, like linking stormwater fees to the amount of impervious area on a site as Portland recently advanced can help prevent water pollution that can put people, our coastal economies and our communities at risk.

In addition, EPA is revising the safety standards designed to protect swimmers from getting sick, but the agency needs to strengthen its weak proposed standards, which based on EPAs estimates of illness risks would make it acceptable for 1 in 28 swimmers to become ill. The proposed standards also do not adequately consider the risks of other health effects such as rashes and ear, eye and sinus infections, all of which are commonly experienced by swimmers at U.S. beaches.

This summer marks a critical time for all of us who care about and enjoy our beaches to call on EPA to do their job to protect public health and ensure that public health officials base closing and advisory decisions on the best science available.

Working together, we can clean up our great Maine beaches and give Mainers the information they need to protect themselves from getting sick.

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Working together to make Maine’s beaches clean

Fairfield's beaches on Long Island Sound re-opened for swimming this morning after the water was declared off-limits Monday because of heavy run-off from the Sunday night storm.

Swimming at Lake Mohegan, however, continues to be banned for a second day as a health precaution.

Town health officials close the public beaches for swimming whenever the level of bacteria in the water exceeds safe guidelines -- a condition likely to exist when heavy runoff from storms drains into swimming areas.

Check here -- http://www.fairfieldcitizenonline -- for updates later.

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Beaches, except Lake Mohegan, expected to reopen today

Warm weather has brought the annual influx of those gelatinous marine animals known as jellyfish to the beaches of San Diego County.

Dozens of beach patrons have reported being stung by the creatures in recent days at beaches stretching from La Jolla Shores to Oceanside. The jellyfish venture close to shore in search of plankton to eat.

Folk remedies abound about alleviating the pain inflicted by the poisonous nettles. One common remedy is to douse the area with vinegar and then remove the nettles very carefully while wearing gloves.

Beachgoers beware: Even in death, a jellyfish can sting.

While it is no comfort to those who have stepped on orbrushed against a jellyfish,large numbers of jellyfish have been spotted at some of the world's glamour beaches of late, including the French Riviera, Spain's Costa del Sol and the sandy beaches of Australia.

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Summer weather brings jellyfish to San Diego County beaches

Beaches might not be the first thing that spring to mind when you think of Britain, but our coastline is worth exploring.

You don't have to venture far from home to find long stretches of sandy beach. Mainland Britain's coastline is over 11,000 miles long and as we Brits are never more than 70 miles from the sea, there really is no excuse not to head to the seaside this summer.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FULL GALLERY OF BRITAIN'S BEST BEACHES

And Britain's coast is on the up. This year the prestigious international Blue Flag award has been given to 79 British beaches - nine more than in 2011. The Blue Flag guarantees high levels of cleanliness, water quality and safety - blue flag beaches can be found dotted up and down the British coastline.

And with the weather set totake a turn for the better next week, there's no better time to pack a picnic, dig out your bucket and spade and hit Britain's best beaches.

Bamburgh, Northumberland Bamburgh is a vast stretch of 3 miles of white sand is surrounded by glossy, grassy dunes and is overlooked by the ancient Bamburgh Castle, an imposing castle perched on a basalt outcrop. What the beach lacks in sun-bathing opportunities and warm inviting waters, it makes up for with its spectacular setting and abundant surrounding nature birdwatchers, photographers, kite-flyers and fishermen alike will not be disappointed. Views from the beach extend to The Farne Islands on the North Sea and inland to the dramatic Northumberland moors.

Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire Surrounded by a nature reserve, Barafundle Bay might be the closest you'll get an exotic paradise in the UK. Its golden sands and clear waters can only be accessed by a cliff path which winds down to the beach through grassy dunes and picturesque pine trees. This award winning, pristine beach suits those with a sense of adventure - once you're there, you won't find any facilities which means it stays relatively quiet, even during the summer. Granny in tow?Visit one of the Pembrokeshire coasts many charming seaside towns instead such as medieval, walled Tenby.

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Beaches: Britain's best kept secret

A national report paints a dismal picture of Ohios beaches, ranking them among the dirtiest in the country.

The Natural Resources Defense Council report says Ohios beaches rank 29th in cleanliness, among 30 states.

In 2011, about 22 percent of the samples taken from designated beach areas in Ohio exceeded national standards, according to the report.

The report does not mention heavy rainfall made 2011 a particularly bad year for polluted rainwater runoff in Ohio. Flood waters overwhelmed sewage treatment systems in Sandusky, Port Clinton and other communities along the lake last year.

That high runoff contributed to last years harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie the worst in many years.

So far, 2012 has seen much less rainfall, and the harmful algal bloom in the lake is expected to be much smaller.

The resources council pegs a beach in Vermilion as perhaps the worst in the state.

Stated the report: The beaches with the highest percent exceedance rates of the state standard in 2011 were Edson Creek in Erie County (52 percent); Lakeview Beach in Lorain County (51 percent); and Villa Angela State Park (50 percent), Edgecliff Beach (50 percent), Moss Point Beach (47 percent), and Sims Beach (47 percent) in Cuyahoga County.

The resources council has said its report analyzes contamination from animal and human waste.

Beaches in Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and New York were among the top 15 repeat offenders, with high bacteria counts for many years, the council stated in a release.

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Ohio beaches among the dirtiest

Its no secret that the Duval County coastal communities are rich havens for bicyclists and pedestrians, and that has Beaches governments trying to make the areas safer.

Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michael Classey last week began instituting new pedestrian and bicycle safety programs. Meanwhile, Jacksonville Beach officials are preparing to add more signs and street markings to guide bicyclists and pedestrians safely through the heart of the business district.

Whether its the driver of a vehicle, a pedestrian or a bike rider, somebody broke a law which resulted in the accident, Classey said Thursday.

In his six-step plan, Classey said he will beef up education efforts, police officer training, traffic control signs, enforcement of traffic laws and traffic control maintenance and reviews.

Classey based his programs objectives on accident data for the Beaches municipalities and other area cities of comparable size.

In Duval County, Atlantic Beach had the fewest traffic crashes with 719 from 2009 to 2011, according to Classeys report. Of those accidents, 31 involved bicycles and 13 involved pedestrians, which ranked higher than St. Augustine, the report said. Jacksonville Beach had the most accidents involving bicycles with 59.

The report comes after two people were killed, one a bicyclist and another a pedestrian, during that time span in Atlantic Beach. Jacksonville Beach had eight fatalities involving either a bicyclist (five) or pedestrian (three) over that same period. Neptune Beach police do not track fatalities.

Classey said the program for safety enhancement is just beginning to be formulated.

With the beach community and beach environment, we have a lot of folks on foot and a lot folks on bikes, and we want to provide the safest atmosphere possible, Classey said.

In Jacksonville Beach, officials are proposing to add 12 new signs in the area of First Street North advising bikes and vehicles to share the road. Two road markings advising bicyclists to keep to the side of the road will also be added by the end of the summer in areas where the speed limit was already lowered to 15 mph.

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First Coast beaches focusing on bike safety

With an abundance of seaweed on town beaches this season, Scituate officials on Tuesday voted a new seaweed policy into effect. According to selectmen, officials will look at the sections of public beaches with lifeguards every Wednesday and Thursday from the third week in June until Labor Day. The Recreation Department and Board of Health will jointly decide if the seaweed needs to be removed. The seaweed will be raked up and disposed of at a landfill in Bourne, selectmen said. The effort will also ensure that there is enough seaweed on the beach for animal feeding and habitat needs. Not only is the regulation for town workers, but people on private beaches who want to do their own cleanup work will know the right steps to follow, Selectman Tony Vegnani said.

Copyright 2012 Globe Newspaper Company.

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Sweeping the beaches of seaweed

By Jason Scott - 2012-07-15T05:30:44Z

Western Australia state closed beaches and began hunting for a great white shark believed to be responsible for the fifth fatal attack in less than a year, the fisheries department said.

The shark yesterday took a surfer off an isolated beach at Wedge Island, 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of the state capital, Perth, the departments Shark Response Unit spokesman, Tony Cappelluti, said in a phone interview today. The mans remains havent been recovered.

Weve had officers patrolling the beach since first light today and theres been no further sightings of the shark, Cappelluti said. Beaches in the area will remain closed until tomorrow morning, he said.

There are 165 shark species in Australian waters and several, including great white, tiger and bull sharks, are dangerous to humans. Western Australia, which is spending A$14 million ($14.3 million) over the next four years to reduce the risk of attacks, had four fatal shark attacks in a six-month period from last September to last March, according to website sharkattackfile.

Tourism operators in Western Australia, the region at the forefront of the nations mining boom, attempt to lure domestic and international visitors to the states 12,000-kilometer-long coastline which is studded with pristine beaches. The tourism industry reaps about A$8.1 billion a year and creates 73,300 jobs, according to a Tourism Council document released last year.

The 24-year-old man who died was paddling his surf board when he was taken, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported, citing a witness whose jet-ski was also attacked by the shark he described as being five meters (16 feet) long. The man tried to recover the body before the shark took it, he said.

Western Australia may have to review the policy of protecting great white sharks, said the states fisheries minister, Norman Moore, according to ABC. He was cited as saying he was perplexed as to how to counter the shark attacks, which have become a serious problem.

Tourism operators will be banned from feeding the predators to attract them to cage dives, a practice that might change their behavior in ways posing potential risks to the public, the state government said July 8.

Studies by Australias government scientific agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, werent clear about whether feeding great white sharks changed their behavior in the long term, the government said. Such risk must be set against any economic benefits, it said.

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West Australia 5th Fatal Shark Attack in Year Shuts Beaches

Beaches remain closed in Western Australia after a surfer was bitten in two - reigniting the debate over whether great white sharks should remain a protected species.

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Beaches Closed After Surfer Is Bitten In Two

Popular beaches along Western Australia's mid-west coast remain closed this morning while fisheries officers continue their search for a shark which fatally attacked a surfer on Saturday.

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Beaches remain closed as hunt for shark continues

July 13, 2012

URI student Molly Welsh, above, examined potential pet waste at Rhode Island's beaches last summer as part of an initiative developed by the RI Department of Health to create more public awareness about the contaminating effects of waste from animals such as dogs.

KINGSTONThe beaches which rim Rhode Islands coastline are frequented by thousands of residents and visitors yearly. Those who enjoy the aquatic environment, from sun bathing to surfing, may not realize, however, the efforts behind keeping beaches clean. University of Rhode Island student Molly Welsh spent last summer researching the prevalence of pet waste at Rhode Islands beaches, and the Department of Health took notice.

I am interested in the interface between science and policy, and conducting a study on pet waste contamination on public beaches seemed to be a nice mix of both, said Welsh. As an Environmental Science and Management major at URI, [my] project enabled me to bothexplore and gather data on a problem and helpgenerate ideas and public outreach informationfor curtailing it.

Welsh journeyed to over 40 beaches throughout the state, looking at whether beaches had proper facilities to deal with pet waste, as well as clear signage for pet owners as to where their dogs could recreate.

Pet waste is 57 percent more toxic than human waste, and one gram of it can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, explained Welsh. So this is a really serious issue, especially when children are digging in the sand and putting their hands in their mouth. It can even cause beaches and shellfish beds to be closed.

While doing site visits, I conducted surveys ofone hundred beach-goers from around the state on their views on pet waste on public beaches, she added. [The survey asked] if they thought it was a problem, if they thought it should be better managed through things like increasing disposal centers, enforcing fines, putting up more signs, and if they had observed pet waste on the particular beach we were on.

82 of those surveyed percent believed that pet waste on public beaches is a problem. 74 percent believed it should be better regulated, and fewer than half of the respondents even knew if the beach to which they brought their pets had enforceable regulations to manage pet waste.

Welsh, with assistance from the Department of Health and funding from URIs Undergraduate Research Initiative, completed her research, as well as conduct water sampling studies at six beaches that were identified through her survey and one administered through the Department of Health.

A typical daywater quality samplinginvolved starting very early in the morning, visiting six target beaches around the state to take samples, and driving these samples up to the Department of Health labs to be analyzed the same day, said Welsh. Sampling involved walking the beach and taking a water sample in areas where pet wasteseemed tobe presenton the beach.

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URI student aids Department of Health at state's beaches