Water advisory issued on Coast bayou after fuel spill

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has issued a temporary water contact advisory for Dutch Bayou in Moss Point.

The advisory was issued due to a fuel spill from the Pilot Travel Center located at 6705 Highway 63.

MDEQ Emergency Response and Underground Storage Tank staff and local emergency officials are onsite monitoring the cleanup and the bayou. The amount spilled and extent of release have not yet been determined. A contractor hired by the responsible party will clean up the spill and any impact to the bayou.

MDEQ recommends that people avoid water contact recreation such as swimming or wading in these waters. In addition, people should avoid eating fish from these waters until further notice. MDEQ will continue to monitor the situation and will lift the advisory when appropriate.

In a separate item, the MDEQ, through its Beach Monitoring Program, has issued a water contact advisory for one sampling station in Bay St. Louis.

The affected beach is Station 4 in Bay St. Louis, which extends from the box culvert east to Ballantine Street.

This segment of beach is not closed; however, there may be an increased risk of illness associated with swimming in this area.

The MDEQ also has lifted an advisory in Gulfport for Station 10B at East Courthouse Road Beach, running from Courthouse Road east to Teagarden Road.