Marylad, Delaware beaches on alert after hazardous materials wash ashore

Several popular beaches along the Maryland and Delaware coast were closed to swimming after medical waste, including needles, washed ashore last week.Swimming was prohibited at beaches that included Ocean City, Maryland, and Fenwick Island, Delaware, and both state and federal beaches on Assateague Island, which is part of Maryland and Virginia.In a social media post, the Town of Ocean City said last Sunday that its emergency services team is actively addressing the recent discovery of medical waste that washed onto the beach.“To ensure the safety of all residents and visitors, Ocean City Beach Patrol has temporarily closed the ocean for swimming, and we urge everyone to adhere to this closure until further notice,” the post read.Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobold stressed the seriousness of the situation, not just because of Sunday’s rough seas, but also because of the potential health concerns the waste poses.“We will work closely with the Worcester County Health Department and other public health authorities to investigate the source of medical waste,” Theobold said in a prepared statement.“Until we are confident that the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely.”On Tuesday, Theobald announced that there was no medical waste on the beach in Ocean City after a post-high tide cleanup.

Still, swimming access was closed, and his department was working with the Health Department to conduct water tests with the hopes of reopening before the weekend.Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan’s office told Fox News Digital on Thursday that swimming was closed to swimmers because of rough surf conditions, limited lifeguards and out of an abundance of caution, as officials awaited water test results.The mayor’s office added that it is hoping to have beaches reopened to swimmers by Friday.The town said that crews will continue monitoring the beach, removing debris and updating the public as mor...