Delmarva beaches reopen after medical waste washes ashore. Agencies mum on investigation

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's swimming advisory for ocean beaches has been lifted, but the source of the medical waste that washed ashore last week remains unknown.

Medical waste, including needles, and small pieces of trash started washing up from Assateague Island National Seashore in Virginia to Lewes, the southernmost town on the Delaware Bay, on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Municipalities and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources closed their beaches to swimmers, while the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which manages state park beaches, issued a recreational swimming advisory on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The waste included "used needles, hygiene products, smoking products, and miscellaneous plastics," a statement from Assateague Island National Seashore officials said.

The beaches there, as well as in Assateague State Park and Ocean City, Maryland, reopened to swimmers Friday.

"Thorough sweeps of the beach have been performed and no additional items of medical waste have been recovered since early in the week," a Maryland Department of Natural Resources Facebook post said.

In Delaware, municipal beaches prohibited swimming to the extent that they could enforce it. At this time of year, many beaches don't have lifeguards. The municipal beaches all were reopened to swimmers by Monday.

Delaware State Parks, a Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control agency, manages the beaches of Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island State Parks. Those beaches were never closed to swimmers, but the department's swimming advisory ran from Tuesday, Sept. 17, through Monday, Sept. 23.

The source of the waste remains unknown, as does the scope of the investigation.

Background: Delaware issues swimming advisory for ocean beaches due to medical waste

A U.S. Coast Guard representative said in an email last week that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will lead the investigation.

"Following up on this incident will be a multi-agency effort, and at this time the focus is on completing cleanup and assuring public safety," Maryland Department of Natural Resources spokesman Gregg Bortz said on Sept. 17.

Bortz did not respond to calls and emails this week requesting an update.

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Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delmarva beaches reopen after medical waste washes ashore. Agencies mum on investigation