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4 Million-Gallon Sewage Spill Closes Stretch Of OC Coastline

SANTA ANA (CBSLA) —A spill of about four million gallons of raw sewage led the Orange County Health Care Agency to declare the ocean and bay areas off-limits from Pelican Point at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach to the Poche Beach interface in Dana Point and San Clemente Wednesday.

The agency did not reveal when, where and how the spill occurred but Orange County Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick said the affected ocean and bay water areas will be closed to water-contact sports until follow-up water quality monitoring reveals they meet acceptable standards.

"I want to stress the importance of avoiding contact with ocean water in the affected areas due to the danger of exposure to untreated sewage, which can be harmful and result in very serious illness with potentially severe effects," Quick said.

Any residents or visitors who smell the odor of sewage in the affected areas can file a complaint through the South Coast Air Quality Management District at 800-CUT-SMOG.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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