Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-25
New District Rules to Close
SheIIfish Shocking House
Commissioners
Act on Protests
By Health. Aides

The District viii close Its
shucking house used by shell.
fish handlers on the Munich.
pal Wharf on December /. The
closing Is a result Of strin-
gent new regulations govern.
ing shellfish operations here
adopted late yesterday by the
Commissioners.
The new rules are being put
into final form by staff aids
and District Health Director
Daniel L. Finucane. They win
be promulgated and distributed
TO the handlers concerned as
soon as they can be mimeo-
graphed.
The Commissioners action
follows protests by Federal and
District health officials that
standards for the handling of
shellfish here were far below
the requirements Of the United
States Public Health Service
and the regulations applied In
Maryland and Virginia. and, in
fact. by the industry along the
entire Eastern Seaboard.
Followed Star Campaign
In the past District controls
over the handling Of shellfisn
here have relied only on the
general powers Of the health
officers. Adoption Of the new
rules was the subject of q cam
paign in The Star.
The rules in general will 60
into effect December /. Soma
sections win become effective
January 2 and the remainder
after the close of the present
oyster season in May.
The effective dates were stag
gered so as not to place too
much Of a financial burden on
the operators. Some of the
facilities would be eliminated.
by July /, by plans
for the Southwest freeway.
The regulations provide
penalties Of $500 or 30 days in
jail for each failure to comply.
During recent hearings VIII
liam H. Cary. director of the
Health Departments Bureau Of
Food and Public Health Engi-
neering. stressed that shellfish
handling here was practically
unregulated. He recalled that
the national control program
was an outgrowth Of a serious
typhoid epidemic traced to In
fected oysters in 1928.
Since then, he said, most
large centers had acted to come
up to Federal standards. While
the subject has been discussed
in the District, there was no
formal action until now.
New Health Powers
New powers are to be given
to District health officials un-
der the new rule concerning
the health Of persons handling
shelf1sh. One rule says: ANY
person known to be infected
with any disease in Q COM
form or to be a
cerrier Of such disease shall be
excluded from any establish
ment holding a permit under
these regulations"
The rules add that any per-
son who has an infected wound,
an open leision on any ex-
posed portion Of his body shall
be excluded from the shocking
or processing Of shellfish.
An owner or manager who
has reason to suspect that any
has contracted q COM
municable disease must notify
the health director immedi-
ately.
No person or business or
ganization in the District Is to
be allowed to have possession
or to offer for sale or to sell
any shellflsh unless such she'll
fish has been obtained from
shippers of fresh or frozen
oysters. CLAIMS and mussels that
have been certified BY a reg
ulatory authority in the United
States or Canada and approved
by the District health director.
Adulteration Rules
There are specific rules
against adulteration or the use
Of any substance that would
be injurious to health. The
Health Director is authorized
to inspect shellfish and to con-
denim and have destroyed any
he finds adulterated.
The rules require that any
handler Of shellfish shall have
q permit from the District
Health Director. This does not
apply to establishments serving
Shellfish to be eaten on the
premises or to any retail es-
adjustment selling shellfish In
original containers. .
The regulations also provide
for the keeping OF records and
identification Of handlers.
They also include provisions
regarding sanitation on boats
and trucks used in transport
tation Of shellflsh food as well
as in facilities here where they
are handled.
These include such detailes
rs the conditions Of walls and
ceilings. fly control measures.
lighting. ventilation. water
supply. plumbing and rodent