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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Mastrati, Gail (DEM)<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 23, 2017 1:46:48 PM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> EMERGENCY SHELLFISHING CLOSURE LIFTED FOR RHODE ISLAND WATERS </font>
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<h1 align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">EMERGENCY SHELLFISHING CLOSURE LIFTED FOR RHODE ISLAND WATERS</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">
</span></i><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced today that effective at sunrise on Friday, March 24, it will lift the emergency shellfishing closure
for areas of Rhode Island Sound, lower Narragansett Bay south of the Newport Pell and Jamestown Verrazzano Bridges, and lower Sakonnet River. The closure was due to a harmful algae bloom that has now subsided.
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Out of an abundance of caution, DEM and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) analyzed shellfish
<span style="color:black">and water samples from </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">both closed and open waters
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">for the presence of domoic acid – a toxin responsible for amnesic
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">shellfish poisoning in humans – throughout the closure period. Recent test results for shellfish show little to no evidence of this toxin. All shellfish on the market is safe from domoic
acid. DEM will continue to monitor local waters as part of its regular survey program.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For updates on shellfish closure areas, contact the DEM 24-hour shellfishing hotline at 401-222-2900 and/or sign up for the DEM Marine Fisheries email list at
</span><a href="mailto:rimarinefisheries-subscribe@listserve.ri.gov"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">rimarinefisheries-subscribe@listserve.ri.gov</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">. Visit
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/shellfish/shellfish-monitoring.php"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/water/shellfish/shellfish-monitoring.php</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">
for more information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information on DEM divisions and programs, visit
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">. Follow us on Facebook at
</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM)
for timely updates.</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:7.6pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:5.1pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">-30-
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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