The recent weather has been the stuff chamber of commerce officials at the shore dream of.
Unless of course you happen to be an official in Avalon, N.J.
The popular Jersey shore spot has had to close its beaches three different times since the weekend because of medical waste washing up on the beach. It’s ugly stuff, cotton swabs, pill casings, and even worse, exposed syringes and needles.
Just the thought of all those happy feet on the sand in close proximity to those needles is enough to turn your stomach – and turn a tourism official’s hair prematurely gray.
Luckily there have been no instances of anyone being injured by any of the medical debris. But it still could not come at a worse time. This is one of the busiest weeks of the year at the shore – the lead-up to the unofficial end of the season with the Labor Day weekend.
Yesterday the beaches were closed again. A decision on whether they can be reopened today will be mater later this morning.
In the meantime, officials are opening a criminal probe into how the material wound up on the beach. It appears fairly clear that this did not come from a barge at sea because it has been limited to a fairly small area.
Now they’re apparently considering another possibility. That would be sabotage. It’s one of the things being considered by town officials, along with the state Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Environmental Protection.
We hope they catch those responsible, and throw the book at them. Or at least a few needles.
Unless of course you happen to be an official in Avalon, N.J.
The popular Jersey shore spot has had to close its beaches three different times since the weekend because of medical waste washing up on the beach. It’s ugly stuff, cotton swabs, pill casings, and even worse, exposed syringes and needles.
Just the thought of all those happy feet on the sand in close proximity to those needles is enough to turn your stomach – and turn a tourism official’s hair prematurely gray.
Luckily there have been no instances of anyone being injured by any of the medical debris. But it still could not come at a worse time. This is one of the busiest weeks of the year at the shore – the lead-up to the unofficial end of the season with the Labor Day weekend.
Yesterday the beaches were closed again. A decision on whether they can be reopened today will be mater later this morning.
In the meantime, officials are opening a criminal probe into how the material wound up on the beach. It appears fairly clear that this did not come from a barge at sea because it has been limited to a fairly small area.
Now they’re apparently considering another possibility. That would be sabotage. It’s one of the things being considered by town officials, along with the state Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Environmental Protection.
We hope they catch those responsible, and throw the book at them. Or at least a few needles.
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