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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@01D8D7F8.D9354D80" 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:blue">
</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">CONTACT:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Mike Healey, 401-258-0787
<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov"><span style="color:#0066FF">Michael.Healey@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#0066FF;text-decoration:none">
</span></span>Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022<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">DEM SET TO REOPEN WEST SIDE OF SHELLFISH AREA A IN UPPER BAY<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">AT SUNRISE ON OCT. 5; AREA HAD BEEN CLOSED SINCE SEWAGE SPILL<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;letter-spacing:.1pt">PROVIDENCE, RI: The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">is announcing that the emergency closure of the western side of Upper Narragansett Bay shellfish Area A is ending at sunrise tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 5. The emergency closure was
for waters west of a line extending from Conimicut Point south to the extension of Ogden Avenue in Warwick. DEM put it in place after a ruptured sewer line on Lake Shore Drive discharged untreated sewage Sept. 12-14 into Warwick Pond, which flows into Buckeye
Brook and ultimately into Mill Cove and Upper Narragansett Bay southwest of Conimicut Point.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="582" height="399" style="width:6.0625in;height:4.1562in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D8D7F8.D9354D80"></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">Water samples collected by the Warwick Sewer Authority and DEM have shown a decline in bacteria levels to normal levels since the sewer line break was repaired and the
discharge to the pond ended on Sept. 14. Therefore, in accordance with DEM procedures and
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fda.gov/food/federalstate-food-programs/national-shellfish-sanitation-program-nssp*:*:text=The*20National*20Shellfish*20Sanitation*20Program,and*20sold*20for*20human*20consumption.__;I34lJSUlJSUlJQ!!KKphUJtCzQ!O98KRH1cVEZHgfjz_nsiwawJwd55TF9H1iGKNKJWpylaY8wrzRuB0YZbD8B474WVaPXYgHdMSkO40Lf2NwQgp3VBTff76G7Hr_UD$">
<span style="color:#0066FF">US Food and Drug Administration guidance</span> [fda.gov]</a>, DEM is reopening the area 21 days after the sewage spill ended.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Along with reopening Area A to shellfishing, DEM and the Rhode Island Department of Health are lifting the no-contact advisory that they had placed on Warwick Pond, Buckeye
Brook, Mill Creek, and Mill Cove on Sept. 13 advising residents to temporarily refrain from both primary contact recreational water activities (wading, swimming) and secondary contact activities (canoeing, kayaking, rowing, and fishing) and to avoid consuming
any fish from these waters.<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>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.1pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For information about DEM programs and services, visit
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/"><span style="color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a>. Follow us on Facebook at
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!O98KRH1cVEZHgfjz_nsiwawJwd55TF9H1iGKNKJWpylaY8wrzRuB0YZbD8B474WVaPXYgHdMSkO40Lf2NwQgp3VBTff76ErW77sA$" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0066FF">www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</span> [facebook.com]</a> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) 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;color:black">###<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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