Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For July 9, 2010
On Day 81 of the Gulf oil spill aerial reconnaissance flights from Wednesday showed no oil from Pensacola Bay to Perdido Pass, including Pensacola Beach.
Forecasts are for winds and currents to move oil in the Gulf of Mexico westward and projections are Escambia County beaches will remain largely oil free for the next several days. View the Florida Gator Interactive Oil Spill Map.
Tar balls, tar patties and sheen continue to be reported in Northwest Florida, although fewer impacts are being observed.
All gulf beaches in Escambia County remain under an Oil Impact Notice that will stay in effect until beaches are no longer impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Gulf beaches are open and swimming is not prohibited but swimmers are advised to avoid coming into contact with oil, whether in the water or on land.
As of July 9 the following Florida beaches are under an oil advisory:
Escambia: County Park East, County Park West, Johnson Beach, Pensacola (Casino) Beach and Perdido Key State Park.
Okaloosa: Brackin Wayside, Henderson State Park Beach, James Lee Park Beach and Blue Mountain Beach Access.
Walton: County Park, Dune Allen Beach Access, Eastern Lake Beach Access, Grayton Beach Access, Holly Street Beach Access and Inlet Beach Access (TDC Beach Access).
On July 8, BP recovered a total of approximately 24,395 barrels: 16,305 barrels of oil were collected, 8,090 barrels of oil were flared, and 55.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. Total oil recovered from both the LMRP Cap and Q4000 systems since they were implemented is approx. 709,100 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to approx. 731,100 barrels.
Approximately 519 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled: 85 miles in Florida, 293 miles in Louisiana, 77 miles in Mississippi, and 64 miles in Alabama.
About 1.74 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied: 1.07 million on the surface and 669,000 subsea. More than 28.7 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
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 9, 2010. Click on images for larger picture.
This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Thursday, July 8 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 Wednesday-Thursday satellite imagery analysis (NOAA/NESDIS) and Thursday overflights. 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.
Weak and variable winds forecast for Friday are expected to become SW at 10 kts overnight then WSW/W at 10-13 kts over the weekend. Remote sensing imagery and overflights have indicated scattered areas of potential oil remaining in Chandeleur and Mississippi Sound, which will continue to threaten the coastlines of MS and AL west of Mobile Bay. Models continue to indicate winds and currents are moving oil from the source region west around the Delta and then to the north, with potential new shoreline oiling in the area between SW Pass and Caillou Bay. Further to the west, no oil has been observed west of Atchafalaya Bay since Monday. Models suggest westward currents in this region will begin weakening over the next few days. However, scattered tarballs may continue to impact Texas shorelines until up-coast (eastward) flow resumes.
Landfall Reports and Predictions:
Continued impacts will be possible in Northwest Florida over the next 72 hours, likely in the form of tar balls and tar patties.
Nearly 90 percent of Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline remains unimpacted.
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.
Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.
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.
No significant tropical activity is expected in the next 48 hours.
On Site Actions:
Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.
BP is continuing its efforts to contain the leak and capture a substantial amount of leaking oil from the use of the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap Containment System. BP continues efforts to drill two relief wells.
State Actions:
The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1.
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.
On July 8, Governor Crist assisted with the release of three pied-billed grebes at Lake Talquin State Forest near Tallahassee. The oiled birds were rescued from beaches on Perdido Key, Miramar and Gulf Breeze. Learn more.
On July 8, the Florida Department of Health, in coordination with Gulf coast impacted counties, announced new Oil Impact Notice guidance to provide beach visitors with health information when visiting Florida’s beaches. This replaces earlier guidance developed for issuing and rescinding health advisories along the coastline. Learn more.
The first Florida branch office committed to oil spill response is open in Pensacola. The branch office serves both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, bringing together federal, state and local agencies to streamline response efforts. This branch office will be followed by three additional branch offices that will serve Northwest Florida. The other three offices will be Okaloosa/Walton, Bay, and Gulf/Franklin/Wakulla/Jefferson. Learn more.
DEP continues to conduct water sampling monitoring to establish baseline conditions throughout the state. Learn more about sampling and results at www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/water.htm.
DEP’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas is conducting water sampling under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. Learn more.
Real-time sampling data from statewide air quality monitoring can be viewed at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/air.htm.
Air quality reports for July 8 revealed that air quality was considered good for ozone and fine particulate concentrations in Northwest Florida. “Good” means the air quality is satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Boom Placement:
Approximately 442,400 feet of hard boom and 8,260 feet of sorbent boom have been placed in Northwest Florida along the most sensitive areas. Additionally, counties in the region are moving forward with supplemental booming plans. As of July 8, 316,261 feet of supplemental boom has been deployed or staged by Florida contractors.
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:
On July 4, NOAA revised the commercial and recreational fishing closure in the oil impacted areas of the Gulf of Mexico. The new closure measures 81,181 square miles. This federal closure does not apply to any state waters and still leaves approximately 66 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. 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.
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.
Tourism:
Through www.VISITFLORIDA.com/floridalive, vacationers are able to view web cams, real-time photos, live Twitter feeds and beach condition updates.
VISIT FLORIDA has a blog which hosts daily media coverage highlighting oil spill and Florida stories posted at www.sunshinematters.org.
The Florida State Parks website, http://www.floridastateparks.org, is updated daily and will list any impacts. Learn more by calling 1-850-245-2157.
Beach visitors are reminded that some state law enforcement officers and clean-up workers are using All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) to quickly gather information and respond to reported coastal impacts from the Deepwater Horizon event. Beach visitors are encouraged to use caution when officials on ATVs approach the area and allow these vehicles the right of way.
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, 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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