Projo Fishing: HotBytes

The Department of Environmental Management has re-opened Conditional Area A in upper Narragansett Bay to shellfishing, DEM spokeswoman Gail Mastrati said. The re-opening is based on acceptable results received this afternoon from monitoring tests measuring the levels of bacteria in the upper Bay.


The Department issued the immediate re-opening in an effort to be responsive to the shellfish industry. Labor Day weekend is economically important to commercial shellfishermen because of high consumer demand.

Yesterday's closure of the area resulted from a failure of the chlorination system at the Narragansett Bay Commission's Fields Point Wastewater Treatment Facility Monday night when the plant discharged of over 500,000 gallons of treated sewage that was inadequately disinfected.

DEM maintains a 24-hour shellfishing hotline with recorded updated information on shellfish closure areas. That number is 222-2900.

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