Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For July 30, 2010
On Day 102 of the Gulf oil spill although sporadic sightings of tar balls may continue, Florida’s shoreline is not expected to receive additional impacts over the next 72 hours.
On July 29, Governor Crist announced BP will provide $7 million to the Northwest Florida Travel Council for tourism marketing and advertising. Expressing appreciation for the grant, Governor Crist promptly sent a letter to BP’s Doug Suttles, requesting another $43 million from BP to complete a second round of atourism marketing and advertising campaign.
The Deepwater Horizon (MC252) well has been successfully shut in for integrity testing since July 15. There is currently no oil flowing into the Gulf.
Active monitoring continues during the integrity test and there has been no evidence of the well not having integrity. The DDIII rig is running in the hole to make the clean-out run in preparation to run casing.
Pressure continues to slowly increase and is approximately 6961 psi. Yesterday it was 6951 psi.
Approximately 625 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled: 93 miles in Florida, 359 miles in Louisiana, 105 miles in Mississippi and 65 miles in Alabama.
About 1.84 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied: 1.07 million on the surface and 771,000 subsea. More than 34.8 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
As of July 30, Beaches in Escambia County, including Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key and the Gulf Islands National Seashore, remain open for swimming. Reports over the last several weeks have been of minimal impacts, typically scattered tar balls.
The threat of oil to beaches has been greatly reduced due to the capping of the oil well and progress toward a permanent kill, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.
The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.
Map of BP Oil Spill as of July 30, 2010. Click on images for larger picture.
This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Thursday, July 29 PM. Currents were obtained from several models (NOAA Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf/USF, TGLO/TAMU, NAVO/NRL) and HFR measurements. The model was initialized from Thursday satellite imagery analysis (NOAA/NESDIS) and overflight observations. The leading edge may contain tarballs that are not readily observable from the imagery (hence not included in the model initialization). Oil near bay inlets could be brought into that bay by local tidal currents
Winds are forecast to have an offshore component tonight and tomorrow (WNW/NW) with speeds of 10-15 kts, then become westerly late Friday and into Saturday at 5-10 kts. Onshore (SW/S) winds are forecast for Sunday at 5-10 kts. Observations from overflights indicate the remaining scattered “anomalies” observed by remote sensing are predominantly light sheens with very little recoverable oil being observed. Patches of emulsified oil and sheens were observed to the west of the Delta, nearshore off Timbalier Bay and Barataria Bay. Shoreline impacts will continue to be reduced by the offshore winds – however, trajectories indicate potential impacts on the west side of the Mississippi Delta due to the westerly component of the winds.
Message of the day: FLORIDA: THE FISHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Florida is known as the fishing capital of the world and on July 30 the world will have an opportunity to see firsthand that fishing is alive and well in Florida. With the recent coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Floridians are setting the record straight that Florida seafood is safe and that the waters in Florida are open for fishing.
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT, be sure to watch the Live TV special celebrating Florida fishing on VERSUS TV. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and VISIT FLORIDA partnered on the one-hour live television special titled, “Florida: The Fishing Capital of the World.” The television special is produced by Bass2Billfish, a weekly show featuring fishing around Florida, also airing on Versus network. Florida government officials and fishing celebrities will discuss fishing in Florida in regards to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The live one-hour television show hosted by Peter Miller, Bass2Billfish host and professional angler, and Matt Iseman, host of “Sports Soup,” will feature fishing experts from around the state highlighting the different types of fishing in Florida. Check “Channel Finder” at www.versus.com to see if your cable or satellite provider carries VERSUS network.
The television special is made possible because of the support of the Florida Lottery, FWC, VISIT FLORIDA, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and the Florida Sports Foundation.
Current Situation:
The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1 or full activation.
The State continues to focus on mitigating impacts to Florida’s shoreline.
On July 29, the State Emergency Response Team, in coordination with U.S. Coast Guard officials and county partners, announced it will begin rightsizing Florida’s response efforts to the Deepwater Horizon incident. Though Florida’s emergency response officials will adjust staffing and resources based on current needs, they will maintain the ability to either increase or further reduce operations as necessary. Learn more.
On June 30, Governor Crist requested $50 million for this purpose. Learn more.
Currently Deepwater Horizon is not discharging any oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
State reconnaissance teams operating by air, land and sea continue to identify potential impacts and are actively coordinating with cleanup teams.
A tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea has a 10 percent chance of becoming an organized tropical system, while a tropical wave over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean has a 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours.
Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.
A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.
Landfall Reports and Predictions:
Continued impacts are possible but not likely in Northwest Florida over the next 72 hours.
Five state-leased skimmers continue to operate in Northwest Florida to protect sensitive inland water bodies. These skimmers are operating at the passes in Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties.
If oil is sighted on Florida’s coastline report it to the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or by dialing #DEP from most cell phones.
Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current which was formerly part of the Loop Current provides no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits.
There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon oil spill-related products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.
Health Effects:
Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.
If residents or visitors see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will not cause any harm, however it is not recommended. Learn more.
Fisheries & Seafood:
A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.
To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401. For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should only be conducted by trained responders. Learn more.
Visit http://bpdecon.com for a list of vessel decontamination locations for oiled boats within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector.
Tips for Homeowners:
While the state appreciates the concern expressed by Floridians and the ingenuity of those seeking alternative measures to help protect the state’s shoreline, the following tips are offered to ensure that these measures are helpful and not harmful to Florida’s coasts, wildlife and water resources: Tips for homeowners.
Tips for Businesses and Consumers:
The Attorney General’s fraud hotline is open to receive any reports of fraud or price gouging. The hotline is 1-866-966-7226.
The Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gouging hotline is also operational. The toll-free hotline number is 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).
Coastal businesses should make loss of earnings claims for damages incurred as a result of the oil spill. Learn more at http://www.myfloridacfo.com/ or by calling 1-850-413-3089 or toll-free at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
To discuss spill related damage with BP representatives, please call the BP Claims Reporting Line at 1-800-440-0858.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Individuals interested in volunteering can register at www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.
Volunteers will not be in direct contact with oil or oil-contaminated materials.
The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service – Volunteer Florida is encouraging Floridians and visitors to stay current on the latest information on scheduled beach cleanups and other local volunteer opportunities.
Learn More About Florida’s Response:
Visit www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, and much more.
For a list of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm#numbers.
The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Additional phone numbers have also been established for persons with disabilities: (800) 955-8771 (TDD) or (800) 955-8770 (voice).
Topics: 2010, beaches, BP, British Petroleum, business, coastline, Deepwater Horizon, Economy, emergency response, environment, environmental impact, Fishery Failure Determination, fishing, Florida, Florida seafood products, GOHSEP, Governance, government, Governor Charlie Crist, Gulf of Mexico, gulf oil map, July 30, landfall predictions, loans, Mexico Beach, moniter, monitor, news, noaa oil spill, Obama Administration, oil loop current, Oil Rig, oil spill, oil spill forecast, oil spill map, Panama City Beach, Panhandle, Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Pass, pollution, President Obama, tourism, Transocean, U.S., United States, VISIT FLORIDA marketing campaign, White House, www.visitflorida.com
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