Share

Dockweiler State Beach closed after tampon applicators, condoms, needles wash

Condoms and tampons have also washed ashore, KTLA reported.

Advertisement

The closure was announced Wednesday evening when the waste was spotted in the sand along the almost 4-mile-long beach.

Beachgoers were also warned to avoid the water at Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey and Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. After this became known, warning signs were posted.

“As of Thursday morning, the debris level has decreased significantly, and cres from LA Sanitation’s Watershed Protection Division, along with Clean Harbors, remain on site and will do so until the beach is clear for public enjoyment”. The storm that struck Los Angeles caused the Hyperion Treatment Plant to divert hundreds of millions of gallons of waste water to a one-mile sewage pipe.

Heal the Bay spokesperson James Alamillo said he suspects the waste may be related to recent rainfall.

Matthew King, a spokesman with environmentalist group Heal the Bay, said his group is concerned about Hyperion’s plans to prevent similar spills. The spokesman added that people should be throwing their needles and debris away in the trash and not flush them down the toilet.

Advertisement

“It’s going to wind up in the ocean and turn our valuable resource into a cesspool”, he said.

Popular L.A. Surf Spot Closed Due to Tampons, Condoms, Needles on Beach