May 16, 2010 In Precautionary Move, LDH Closes Oyster Harvesting Areas 19 and 21 Due to Oil SpillOysters on the Market Safe; Officials Continue Aggressive Testing

BATON ROUGE, May 16, 2010 - The Louisiana Department of Health announced today the closure of oyster harvesting bed areas 19 and 21 as a precautionary response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.

The closures, which will take effect today at sundown, are west of the Mississippi River in Terrebonne Parish.

LDH Secretary Alan Levine and State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry signed the closure order, which will take effect at sunset today, Sunday, May 16, 2010.

LDH officials have been working closely with local, state and federal agencies to monitor the oil plume that continues to grow off of the Louisiana coastline for its potential impacts on oyster harvesting areas. Meanwhile, employees with LDH's Office of Public Health Molluscan Shellfish Program have continued regular testing of 8 million acres of coastal waters along the Louisiana shoreline.

In addition, LDH scientists and engineers are conducting enhanced testing of oyster meat taken from the closed beds to monitor the presence of oil, called hydrocarbon testing. Additional testing is also being conducted in unaffected oyster beds. These tests will create a baseline, which will be used to ensure the safety of oysters once the incident clears in order to reopen beds. Oysters being harvested in open areas are considered safe.

Areas 2 through 4, 8, 14, 15 and 17 also are closed. Areas 5, 6, 7, 9 and 13 were recently reopened.

Closures will remain in effect until officials have determined that environmental conditions are within the requirements specified by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

The public is encouraged to call a toll-free hotline, 1-800-256-2775, to report the presence of oil or an oil sheen.

For more information related to the oil spill, visit http://www.emergency.louisiana.gov. Connect with us on www.facebook.com/GOHSEP and on Twitter @GOHSEP. View photos in from the state's response efforts at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagohsep.

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