NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Virginia Department of Health announced Wednesday that a portion of Hampton Roads along the Newport News shoreline is temporarily closed to shellfish harvesting due to a spill of raw sewage impacting the river’s water quality.
Due to potential pollution hazards, shellfish taken from affected areas are not acceptable for consumption.
The temporary emergency closure is effective beginning Wednesday and is scheduled to reopen January 17, 2019.
Maps of the affected areas are posted on the Division of Shellfish Sanitation’s home page here. Bivalve mollusks like oysters and clams are affected, but not crabs or fin fish.
Ingesting shellfish taken from the closed areas at this time could cause gastrointestinal illnesses including norovirus, hepatitis A and shigellosis.
