HOODSPORT, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Department of Health has upgraded its water quality rating for tidelands near Hoodsport on Hood Canal, now certifying that clams and oysters there are safe to eat.
Beaches in that area have been closed to harvesting for 45 years. The Puget Sound Institute at University of Washington says the beaches are opening after four years of cleanup.
Two public beaches could be opened for recreational harvesting next spring, depending on shellfish quantities and port approval.
The stretch of tideland is 66 acres and includes both public and private properties.
The pollution largely came from eight failing septic systems, including five commercial systems, and public restrooms managed by the Port of Hoodsport, which have been shut down.