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COLUMBIA – The Conditionally Approved shellfish beds in Murrells Inlet and North Santee Bay in Georgetown County have been closed to harvesting because of excessive rainfall and the potential for contamination, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.

“Rainfall can wash contaminants into shellfish harvesting areas, causing a temporary degradation of water quality,” said Mike Pearson, manager of DHEC’s Shellfish Sanitation Program. “These areas have been closed as a precaution and will remain closed until monitoring shows fecal coliform bacteria concentrations to be acceptable for shellfish harvest.”

For information about shellfish harvesting areas in Horry and Georgetown County area, call DHEC’s Region 6 office at (843) 238-4378. For information on shellfish beds in the Charleston area, call DHEC’s Region 7 office at (843) 953-0160. For information on Beaufort County shellfish areas, call DHEC’s Region 8 EQC office at (843) 846-1030.