Rumors of high hepatitis rates spread in 1967 because of the island's bad sewage system. At the time, several homes still dumped sewage into the bay, causing activities like clamming, wading, and swimming to be banned. The health hazards prompted the city to again attempt eviction proceedings against Broad Channel's residents, which prompted them to protest, and the Board of Estimate ordered the residents' leases to be renewed the following year, despite the real estate commissioner's protests. The government of New York City finally granted Broad Channel residents the right to purchase their property in 1982. The Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge replaced the dilapidated North Channel Bridge during the late 1980s.