Hundreds Of Needles Illegally Dumped On NJ Beaches: Official

LONG BRANCH, NJ — Hundreds of used needles washed up on several Monmouth County beaches this past weekend, and a top county official said Monday he suspects illegal dumping is the culprit.

Syringes were spotted Saturday and Sunday in Monmouth Beach and at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch, which is a beachfront park operated by Monmouth County, causing them to be closed, according to a county spokesperson.

Thomas Arnone, the Director of the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, said that he was "disgusted" by the thought of someone dumping medical waste into the ocean.

“We are disgusted and appalled by the fact that hundreds of pieces of medical waste — namely syringes — have washed up on the beautiful shores of Monmouth County beaches,” Arnone said in a statement.

“To think that someone intentionally disposed of medical waste in the ocean is beyond comprehension. This despicable action shows a complete lack of respect for human safety, marine safety, and the environment," he said. "Not to mention a total disregard for the negative effects that this has on the economy as beaches were forced to close and turn visitors away.”

The National Park Service, which runs Gateway National Recreation Area, where Sandy Hook is located, said no syringes were discovered on their beaches.

But Dan George, beach manager for the city of Long Branch, said that beach patrols found five syringes on Long Branch beaches on Sunday and that lifeguards are checking the beaches periodically.

“We're having guards check the water line periodically, especially on outgoing tide,” George said.

Arnone's statements contradict an NBC 10 Philadelphia report that says the syringes were likely caused by sewer runoff from northern New Jersey and New York City due to the several days of heavy rain.

A statement from the New Jersey Department of Environment Protection (NJDEP) on Monday night disagreed with Arnone's assessment that the waste that washed up resulted from illegal dumping.

"The floatables came from outfalls in and around the NY/NJ Harbor following Combined Sewer Overflows from large rain events prior to and during Tropical Storm Elsa. The overflows, in addition to wind direction and tides, directed the floatables onto the beaches from Pavilion Beach in Monmouth Beach to Joline in Long Branch," The NJDEP statement said.

According to the NJDEP, combined sewer systems are shared piping systems that carry both sewage and stormwater to a central treatment system before discharging it into a waterway. During heavy rainfall, these systems overflow, discharging a mix of sewage and stormwater to the waterway.

Arnone did not reply when asked if the needles could be caused by flooding, and as of Monday afternoon, all the affected beaches have been cleaned and have since reopened.

Arnone stated that county officials are investigating the matter.

“Please know that Monmouth County is closely monitoring this situation and the safety of our residents and visitors remains our top priority. The good news is that, currently, the beaches are clear and have reopened,” Arnone said

“At this time, we are unaware of the source of the medical waste. With that said, we firmly believe that the party responsible should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

With reporting by Carly Baldwin/Patch