OXNARD : Shellfish Quarantine Ends; Ban Remains

The quarantine on shellfish imposed by Ventura County Public Health officials during the McGrath Lake oil spill late last year was lifted Wednesday, but the seasonal ban on taking the animals remains in effect through October.

Public Health Officer Gary Feldman said test results of samples of mussels and clams taken recently were free from oil and any other residue leftover from the December oil spill north of Oxnard.

But the seasonal quarantine that prohibits consumption of shellfish between May and October each year is still in effect, Feldman said. The so-called “red tide” condition that exists in summer months increases the risk of poisoning if the shellfish are consumed, he said.

But “don’t worry about the oil,” Feldman said.

“It took longer than necessary to get the (test) results,” he said. “But since I was in the middle of a general quarantine anyway, I just waited to get an accurate evaluation.”

Feldman issued a public health advisory days after 84,000 gallons of heavy crude oil leaked from a Bush Oil Co. pipeline. He warned beach-goers not to eat the clams and mussels along the coast because of possible contamination.

The spill killed hundreds of migratory birds and prompted the closure of seven miles of coastline.