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Thanks to the diligence of Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Technical and Regulatory Services Administration, Maryland residents, as well as other seafood lovers are able to enjoy a safe supply of oysters and clams harvested in the Chesapeake Bay. MDE’s Bacteriological Assessment Division and Compliance Monitoring Division work together to ensure that Maryland’s shellfish harvesting areas are clean and safe for public consumption.
Maryland’s Shoreline Survey Program
MDE supports Maryland’s shellfish industry by classifying shellfish harvesting waters as safe for harvesting oysters and clams. The Shoreline Survey Program is important to fulfilling the requirements mandated by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program under the auspices of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The requirements under this program include a shoreline inspection for each shellfish harvesting area at least once every five to seven years. To fulfill the inspection requirements, MDE’s Shoreline Survey Program inspects over 2,000 residential, commercial and agricultural properties each year. These inspections involve looking for actual and potential pollution sources that may impact the safety of shellfish harvesting waters.
Skilled Staff
The Shoreline Survey Program is staffed with seasoned professionals who, during the months of January through April, visit door-to-door to inspect individual and commercial on-site waste disposal systems and animal waste disposal practices at agricultural facilities. MDE team members are assigned to specific watersheds to inspect each property that could have a potential impact on shellfish harvesting waters. During such inspections, MDE staff evaluates run-off from agricultural fields and ditches as well as discharges and run-off from commercial operations (such as marinas and seafood processing facilities).
Our well-trained staff is the backbone of MDE’s successful field evaluation program. Throughout the years, MDE’s Compliance Monitoring personnel have become highly skilled at identifying potential pollution sources and failing on-site sewage disposal systems. For example, abnormal plant growth often indicates that an influx of extra nutrients is being delivered to surface areas through failing on-site sewage disposal systems.
When necessary, a dye test might be performed on an individual on-site waste disposal system. The dye test includes introduction of water-soluble dye tablets into the waste system via flushing commodes, kitchen sinks, as well as washing machine drain hoses. After the environmentally harmless dye is introduced, the staff inspects the property for potential areas of failure. When the system is failing, the dye will surface in the area of failure (see Figures 1-4) providing visual evidence of failure.
From the Field to Decision Making
The protection of public health is the ultimate goal of the Shoreline Survey Program. Such surveys provide local health department officials with necessary data to document the need for investment in public sewers and collection systems. For example, the fact that MDE’s field staff has observed a high ratio of failing systems in Galesville, helped Anne Arundel County obtain the necessary funds and support for a community public sewer system. The Shoreline Survey data also provides valuable information used to re-open previously closed shellfish harvesting areas. These surveys are not only required to support the shellfish industry and to properly classify areas safe for shellfish harvesting, but are also a valuable tool in Maryland’s ongoing fight to protect the beauty and bounty found in Chesapeake Bay.
For more information on Shellfish Harvesting in Maryland, visit:
http://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Marylander/
fishandshellfish/Pages/index.aspx |
