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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><img width="83" height="119" style="width:.8645in;height:1.2395in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01D8C77F.EEC60B00" alt="DEM-logo-small"></span><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:#00457A">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401.222.4700 |</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">| @RhodeIslandDEM</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">
Mike Healey, 401-258-0787<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022
<a href="mailto:Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov"><span style="color:#0066FF">Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="color:#0066FF"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">RUPTURE OF WARWICK SEWER LINE CAUSES DEM TO EXTEND UPPER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">BAY SHELLFISHING CLOSURE, ISSUE NO-CONTACT ADVISORY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">FOR WARWICK POND, BUCKEYE BROOK, MILL CREEK & MILL COVE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing that it will extend the emergency shellfishing closure of Upper Narragansett
Bay Conditional Area A — which was previously closed after extreme rainfall Sept. 5-6 and scheduled to reopen Sept. 16 — until further notice. Any harvesting of shellfish in this area is prohibited indefinitely.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">The cause of the closure extension is a rupture of a 24-inch sewer line on Lake Shore Drive in Warwick, resulting in the discharge of sewage to Warwick Pond. DEM first
became aware of the discharge Sept. 12 at 8 PM. As of 10 AM today, the Warwick Sewer Authority was working to install temporary bypass pumping and estimates that around 450,000 gallons had overflowed to Warwick Pond. The discharge is ongoing.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="667" height="345" style="width:6.9479in;height:3.5937in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D8C77F.EEC60B00"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">As a precaution, DEM and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) are advising residents to temporarily refrain from both primary contact recreational water activities
(wading, swimming) and secondary contact activities (canoeing, kayaking, rowing, and fishing) on Warwick Pond, Buckeye Brook, Mill Creek, and Mill Cove and to avoid consuming any fish from these waters (see map above) until further notice. Swimming in any
area currently under the extended emergency shellfish closure is not recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For information on emergency and conditional area water quality related shellfish closures, call DEM’s 24-hour shell fishing hotline at 401-222-2900, visit
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/shellfish"><span style="color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov/shellfish</span></a>, or sign up for the Office of Water Resources' listserv here:
<a href="mailto:RishellfishOWR-subscribe@listserve.ri.gov"><span style="color:#0066FF">RishellfishOWR-subscribe@listserve.ri.gov</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information about DEM divisions and programs, visit
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="color:#0066FF">
</span>or follow us on <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!J6frs85Qhg_VXEYbm4xoDShTX9xk4Rux_XZ781h6JGrzTr1dMrH2Fu2luV737zJTc8Ms5Ep-mhNoaxyZGpAf6aIkWkAFiLvcddL1$"><span style="color:#0066FF">Facebook</span> [facebook.com]</a>, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">Michael J. Healey | Chief Public Affairs Officer</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">235 Promenade Street, Providence RI 02908</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">401-222-4700, X277-7273</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Email: </span><a href="mailto:michael.healey@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">michael.healey@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#212121">Web: </span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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