On Sunday, the Town of Ocean City and surrounding coastal communities, as well as Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore, announced that ocean access would be restricted after discovering a significant amount of trash and medical waste – including syringes and needles – had washed ashore over the weekend. While the situation had reportedly improved by Monday, officials said they would continue to work with the appropriate public health agencies and local partners to pinpoint the source of the debris.
“We will continue working with our local, State, and Federal partners until the matter is resolved,” Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald said in a statement this week.
Marketing and Communications Director Jessica Waters said waste consisting of syringes, wood particles and rubbish began washing ashore in Ocean City over the weekend. The same debris was also reported on social media accounts for the towns of Fenwick Island, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach, Assateague State Park, and Assateague Island National Seashore, which manages the barrier island beaches in both Maryland and Virginia.
As a result, officials on Sunday closed the ocean to swimming and other water activities at Assateague federal and state parks, and in the surrounding coastal communities spanning north into Delaware. Beachgoers were also encouraged to wear shoes and use caution when walking along the sand.
“We will work closely with the Worcester County Health Department and other public health authorities to investigate the source of the medical waste,” Theobald said in a statement Sunday. “Until we are confident that the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely.”