All NJ Beaches Clean And Reopened After Needles Washed Ashore

NEW JERSEY — As of Friday afternoon, all New Jersey beaches are clean and reopened, after medical waste and needles washed up on at least seven Jersey Shore different beaches this past week.

All New Jersey beaches are clean and reopened, per the state Department of Environmental Protection's Beach Report website Friday.

In the past week, home-use diabetic-type needles, plus other waste, washed up on the following beaches:

• Last Saturday and Sunday on Monmouth Beach in Monmouth County (Pavilion Beach)
• Last Saturday and Sunday at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch (the Joline and Atlantic Avenue beaches in Long Branch)
• In the Normandy Beach section of Brick Township south to the Chadwick Beach section of Toms River on Wednesday
• On Mantoloking's beaches Wednesday
• On the Maryland Avenue Beach in Point Pleasant Beach, also Wednesday

All the beaches were immediately closed to the public as soon as the needles were seen washing up in the surf, said state and local officials.

One Monmouth County official said he strongly suspected the medical waste was caused by illegal dumping, but the DEP disagreed, saying multiple times the needles were caused by storm sewer overflows in North Jersey and New York City after last week's constant rain.

The needles found were those commonly used at home by diabetics. They are throw-away needles that many often flush down the toilet when finished. In periods of heavy rain, or frequent rain, New York City and North Jersey storm drains overflow. The Atlantic Ocean tides and currents can carry whatever is in them all the way to Long Branch and even as far south as Toms River.

"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," said DEP spokeswoman Caryn Shinske. "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."

"Based on weather forecasts and modeling, the DEP expects this matter to resolve Thursday (July 15) afternoon," she said.

Thomas Arnone, (R) director of the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners (formerly freeholders), issued a press release Monday saying 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," he said. "To think that someone intentionally disposed of medical waste in the ocean is beyond comprehension."

Arnone did not reply when asked by a Patch reporter if the needles could be caused by flooding. Arnone said Monmouth County officials are investigating the matter.

With reporting from Karen Wall and Brian Harris at Patch.

Related: 5 Ocean County Beaches Closed After Medical Waste Washes Up (July 14)

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