2007_09_beacheswaste.jpgWhat a wild weekend for area beaches! On Saturday, a shark washed up at Rockaway Beach. Yesterday, a bunch of medical waste and trash was swept in onto the Jersey shore, causing beach closures.

The beaches were reopened this morning, but would you really want to go back after "syringes, tampon applicators, gauze and other debris" were found? NJ environmental officials aren't sure where the junk came from, but they are investigating.

The NRDC recently released a report about dirty beaches all over the country. New York beaches experienced over 1200 days of closing and advisories last year, but about a third were pre-emptive (like after heavy rainfall, sewage may be dragged into waters).