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In times past, Dungeness Bay beachcombers were confident the shellfish they harvested were safe to eat.
But times have changed, according to a majority of county commissioners who officially created the Sequim-Dungeness Bay Watershed Clean Water District on Tuesday.
The 2-1 decision follows a string of shellfish harvesting closures in Dungeness Bay which began in April 2000.
Democratic Commissioners Mike Doherty of Port Angeles and Steve Tharinger of Sequim voted to form the district. Republican Commissioner Mike Chapman of Port Angeles opposed the measure.
This full report appears in today’s editions of the Peninsula Daily News, available on newsstands or via U.S. mail by clicking on “Subscribe.”