Medical Waste Has Avalon Puzzled

AVALON –– After numerous beach sweeps Aug. 23-25 about 175 pieces of medical debris, iv-type needles and eight-inch cotton swabs were collected after washing up along the surf between 9th and 24th streets here. Eight more pieces were recovered Monday morning before beaches were reopened at 10 a.m.
Most of the debris, about 150 pieces, were found Saturday during late morning and early afternoon between 9th and 21st streets. About 25 additional pieces of similar type of medical debris washed up further south at 24th Street Sunday after mid-afternoon high tide.
Beaches were evacuated just after 4:30 p.m. Saturday, after medical debris were found and safely collected using scooping tools.
All beaches in Avalon reopened Aug. 24 following the incident Saturday, then were closed again at about 4 p.m. after the additional medical waste was found. The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management and County Health Department assisted in cleanup. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office/Division of Criminal Justice is investigating the incidents, along with the Avalon Police Department.
“This is being treated as a criminal investigation. Avalon is aggressively and immediately pursuing answers. We want to find out who’s responsible for this act. Authorities were fortunate to get some clues early in the investigation. Let me make this clear: This is believed to be a purposeful act,” Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi said in an Aug. 25 release.
The North Beach area between 9th and 18th streets, where most of the medical debris washed up, is the same area that has been the subject of the borough’s beach replenishment issues with the state Department of Environmental Protection in which the borough has sued the DEP over the latest State Aid Agreement saying it is vague and overly stringent.
The North Beach in need of replenishment is the furthest point out to sea among the borough and its neighboring barrier islands, hence the borough’s slogan “Cooler by a Mile.” The stronger wave and tidal action there may explain why the medical debris appeared at that particular location, Public Relations Officer Scott Wahl said.
Eight additional items were recovered Monday morning after the Public Works Department conducted a final beach sweep starting just after dawn: two small needles, two caps for the needles, and four cotton swabs. Wahl said the items appeared more ‘weathered’ than other items recovered from the beach and believed the items very likely did not wash ashore during high tide overnight. Wahl said since no additional medical waste came on Avalon’s beaches during the overnight hours, all beaches were reopened Monday at 10am.
The Avalon Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Management Department and Public Works all responded to the scene and assisted the Avalon Beach Patrol with the effort. There were no reported injuries or incidents of anyone coming in physical contact with the medical debris.
Avalon is conducting a public notification of its residents about the status of the beaches through the Global Connect phone system, which automatically dials every household in Avalon in the event of a need for public notification.
If anyone is on the beach and comes across anything that looks like medical waste, they are asked to contact a member of the beach patrol immediately, or call the non-emergency number for the Avalon Police Department at (609) 967-3411.