Lewes officials reopen the beach
Effective today, the Lewes Beaches are now open, officials announced Nov. 6. There is some remaining debris on the beach from the oil spill, and beachgoers are asked to not pick it up. They are also asked to be careful when walking near the grasses near the high tide line.
The beach was closed Oct. 22, after an oil spill off Broadkill Beach was discovered and tar balls began to wash ashore in Lewes.
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, DNREC and contractors have been working to clean the beaches since then. Oil had been found on the beaches from Bowers Beach to Assateague Island State Park south of Ocean City, Md.
The public is asked to continue reporting sizeable sightings of oiled debris or tar balls, or oiled wildlife.
For reports concerning the Delaware coastline, call DNREC’s toll-free environmental hotline at 800-662-8802. For reports concerning the Maryland coastline, call the Maryland Department of the Environment at 866-633-4686.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and building pages, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
