Resident warns trustees that burying avian-flu–infected birds in beach sand poses public-health risk
Loading...
Summary
At the April 13 trustees meeting, resident Cynthia Daniels urged the board to identify and remediate burial sites and to remove infected carcasses after saying burial in beach sand can allow HPAI to persist; trustees and local volunteers described response steps and DEC involvement.
Resident Cynthia Daniels told the East Hampton trustees on April 13 that burying birds infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in beach sand creates a preventable public-health and environmental risk and urged the board to identify burial sites, remove carcasses and establish location-specific protocols.
"Burying infectious carcasses in beach sand creates a preventable risk," Daniels said, adding that HPAI, including H5N1, can persist in organic material, sand and water and that leachate from decomposing carcasses could carry viral particles into surrounding sand and groundwater.
Daniels showed photographs and said burial on beaches—sometimes on or near public-access areas—was inconsistent with guidance she received from federal environmental health agencies. She asked trustees to remediate known burial sites, remove infected carcasses, conduct environmental monitoring and adopt coastal-specific protocols for handling infectious wildlife.
Trustee Dan, who described organizing collection and interim burial after finding hundreds of dead birds, told the board he had contacted the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and followed its recommendations under the circumstances. "The deputy director of the DEC for Region 1 said, 'I am satisfied with the way you handled this,'" Dan said, describing contact with DEC staff who visited the site and reviewed the response.
Dan said volunteers collected more than 500 birds on one visit and later recovered additional carcasses; he also said conditions (high water table and limited immediate options) constrained how deeply sites could be excavated and that he sought additional cover material. Dan and other local volunteers described double-bagging or transporting some birds for testing when feasible and said coordination with town public-works staff helped identify a nearby burial location when time and resources were constrained.
Trustees and residents asked whether water or sand testing had been conducted specifically for avian flu; Dan said routine water monitoring occurs but that the trustees had not been testing explicitly for HPAI and suggested consulting local experts for guidance on monitoring. Daniels and trustees agreed on the need for clearer, location-specific protocols and better public communication to reduce fear and to protect pets and beachgoers.
The trustees did not take a formal vote on policy changes during the meeting but heard commitments to follow up with DEC guidance, collect further documentation and explore monitoring options and protocol development.
What’s next: Trustees said they will follow up with DEC contacts and local public-works partners to clarify disposal options and monitoring steps and to consider development of clearer, site-specific protocols.