Needles, other medical waste washes up on East Atlantic Beach, officials say

East Atlantic Beach in Hempstead Town was closed Friday evening after hypodermic needles and other medical waste washed ashore, officials said.

The beach, between Troy Avenue and Beach Street, was closed around 5:29 p.m., Nassau police said. Town officials said they closed the beach to investigate the source of the waste and clean up the debris.

“We are closing East Atlantic Beach until further notice, and getting police involved because there is a huge volume of syringes, medical, and bathroom waste washing up,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen said in a statement.  “We don’t know the source yet — it’s as if someone dumped bathroom garbage and medical waste in some volume,” she said.

Gillen said the board of health and the bay constables were alerted, and clean-up would continue Saturday. Guards at Atlantic Beach estates were also notified that if waste washed up there, the beach should be closed, Gillen said.

By Deborah S. Morris

deborah.morris@newsday.comdsvmorris

Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.