Syringes On Manasquan Beach Came From Flooded Sewers, Were Not Dumped, State Says

MANASQUAN, NJ — The approximately 60 needles found on a Manasquan beach Saturday came from sewer overflows, and had not been illegally dumped, according to a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

There was heavy rain Thursday night, and sewers in Manasquan flooded and overflowed their contents into the ocean, said DEP spokesman Larry Hajna.

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Debris from the sewers washed up on beaches, including syringes used to give at-home insulin injections, he said. The needles were mixed in with other household garbage that washed up on the beach near the Manasquan Inlet.

Hajna said it was impossible for the DEP to identify which specific sewers overflowed, or in what area of Manasquan. It may not have even been sewers in Manasquan that overflowed, as currents can carry debris from miles away.

Manasquan residents confirmed it wasn't just needles, but also thousands of pieces of trash that washed up on the beach.

"There were hundreds or maybe thousands of pieces of plastic," Manasquan resident Sandy Perry told CBS.

"Syringes, cut straws, syringe plungers, syringe caps, small plastic baggies," said Priscilla Mahajan, another resident.

Many residents volunteered their time cleaning up the beaches Saturday.

The beach was closed Saturday, but reopened for swimming Sunday, after two high-tide cycles.

First report: Syringes In Ocean Shuts Down NJ Beach