A leak of wastewater from the Millsboro sewage system in early January prompted DNREC to shut down the area to shellfish gathering, following guidance from the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
DNREC says that time period is meant to allow for the shellfish to naturally cleanse themselves of any toxins they absorbed from the sewage, and protect public health in the meantime.
The DNREC shellfish program also reiterated in a release this closure did not affect the Rehoboth Bay, where most legal farming of oysters is done, and those animals were still fit for human consumption.
The ban also didn’t affect any non-bivalve shellfish, so things like lobster and crabs were unaffected
The town of Millsboro said the leak was caught while doing a closed caption camera inspection of aging pipe infrastructure. Officials say the leak was contained within 30 minutes of it being found.
Details on DNREC’s Shellfish Program, and more information about closures, can be found on the Shellfish Program webpage.
