Los Angeles beaches closed after condoms, needles wash ashore
LOS ANGELES -- Two Los Angeles beaches were closed Thursday after hypodermic needles, condoms and other waste washed ashore and excessive bacteria levels were found in the water.
County health officials announced the closure of Dockweiler State Beach on Wednesday after the waste was spotted in sand along the four-mile beach near Los Angeles International Airport. Just south of Dockweiler, El Segundo Beach was closed Thursday after the waste began washing up there.
Health officials collected at least 200 pounds of waste from the beaches, Los Angeles Sanitation District spokeswoman Tonya Durrell said. Officials believe it was discharged from a pipeline belonging to the city-owned Hyperion Treatment Plant.
The mile-long pipeline had been dormant but was brought back online last week as a heavy storm strained the regular five-mile pipeline.
"It may have been sitting there, and as a result, the heavy rain storm and first flush of all of that may have pushed that matter out into the bay," Durrell said.
No more solid waste was flowing from the mile-long pipeline and crews were working to reopen the beach as soon as possible, she said.
A photo posted to the environmental group Heal The Bay's Twitter page with a message reading "Swimming not recommended" appeared to show a tampon applicator floating in the water.
"We've seen people go out there with their surfboards right now this morning and that's really not a good idea," Heal the Bay's Leslie Griffin told CBS Los Angeles.
The Hyperion plant is designed to capture solid waste and the pipelines are supposed to discharge only treated wastewater.
Matthew King, a Health The Bay spokesman, said his group is concerned about Hyperion's plans to prevent similar spills.
"Moving forward, we just have to make sure they think through what happens during heavy flows," said King, whose group does regular water monitoring.
He also admonished members of the public for flushing needles and other debris down toilets, saying those items belong in the trash.
"It's going to wind up in the ocean and turn our valuable resource into a cesspool," he said. "Who knows what's still lurking in the water."
Authorities have not yet provided an update as to when the beaches would reopen.