Maryland temporarily halts shellfish harvesting in part of Chesapeake Bay – WTOP News

The Maryland Division of the Surroundings has issued an order to quickly shut a portion of the Chesapeake Bay to shellfish harvesting as a precautionary measure resulting from sewage overflow.

The order covers 10,400 acres of bay within the space of Baltimore, Baltimore Metropolis and Anne Arundel County, increasing an space already closed to shellfish harvesting close to Hart-Miller Island. The sewage overflow in query was stopped yesterday, and the newly closed areas will reopen for harvesting on Jan. 11.

The overflow is a priority as a result of shellfish like oysters are sometimes eaten uncooked. When these filter feeders stay in polluted water, they will gather disease-causing organisms, making them hazardous to devour.

In accordance with a information launch, the state was knowledgeable on Dec. 12 of a sewage overflow affecting a tributary to Again River. Whereas the spill’s location made it more durable to find out the precise quantity of sewage, Baltimore County estimates that greater than 2 million gallons have been discharged into floor waters close to the Muddy Intestine tributary.

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