The Nation - News from Aug. 16, 1987

New Jersey officials searched for the source of medical waste and raw garbage that formed a 50-mile ribbon in the Atlantic Ocean, keeping most beaches closed for a second day. A helicopter survey confirmed that the problem would not disappear with the outgoing tide. But sunbathers showed up at most beaches, and some towns along the Ocean County shore allowed beachgoers to wade knee-deep into the surf, while a couple allowed swimming, despite a state recommendation against it. State Department of Environmental Protection sources said it appeared the garbage came from a New York barge but added it would be hard “to find a conclusive link to a specific disposal firm.”