Red flags for 9 Saipan, 2 Tinian beaches
The Division of Environment Quality has red-flagged nine beach sites on Saipan and two beaches on Tinian and is advising the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
The affected sites on Saipan are beaches along The Palm Resort, Plumeria Hotel, DPW channel bridge, Garapan Fishing Dock, Garapan Beach drainage, San Jose Beach, Civic Center Beach, Saipan Grand Hotel, and CK Dist. 4’s Lally Beach.
On Tinian, the affected sites are the Unai Chulu and Tachogna Beach.
DEQ said that samples collected from these locations had excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci) that exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards. These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water.
Water samples were taken from 38 locations on Saipan coast on Wednesday. On Tinian, samples were taken from 10 marine recreational and storm drainage sites. For more information, contact DEQ at 664-8500. [B][I](DEQ)[/I][/B]
