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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Some shellfish growing areas in Charleston County reopened today after facing an emergency closure yesterday, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

"This reopening is based on new information obtained from sampling during the effluent spill on Sullivan's Island," said Mike Pearson, manager of DHEC's Shellfish Sanitation program. "The revised closure area has been reduced to include all tributaries of the Upper and Lower Conch Creeks as well as the Intra-Coastal Waterway south to the Ben Sawyer Bridge. All other areas previously closed due to this emergency are now reopened for harvesting."

Pearson said the remaining closure areas will remain closed until water quality sampling indicates bacteria levels are safe for shellfish harvesting.

For more information on Charleston area shellfish beds, call DHECs Region 7 Environmental Quality Control office at (843) 953-0160. For information on shellfish areas in Horry and Georgetown counties, call DHECs Region 6 EQC office at (843) 238-4378. For information on shellfish areas in Beaufort County, call DHECs Region 8 Environmental Quality Control office at (843) 846-1030.