Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For June 25, 2010
On Day 67 of the Gulf oil spill crude oil continues to impact sections of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key beaches.
Tar mousse has been discovered between the Pensacola Beach Pier and the ranger station at Fort Pickens gate, approximately three miles in length.
Cleanup crews continue to be on site. Tar balls, tar patties and mousse continue to be found on Panama City Beach, Destin, Ft Walton, Pensacola Beaches and throughout Northwest Florida, with the heaviest impacts reported between Escambia and Walton Counties.
Pensacola Beach is open. However, due to significant quantities of emulsified oil in near shore waters and/or along the shoreline, Gulf waters from Fort Pickens gate west to Pensacola Pass are closed to all swimming and wading until further notice.
All beaches are open on Perdido Key from immediately west of Johnson Beach, Gulf Islands National Seashore, to the Alabama state line. Minimal tar balls in some areas. According to NOAA, tar balls do not pose a health risk to the average person, but visitors are advised not to pick them up.
The Escambia County Health Department has placed signage along the beaches advising beach patrons to avoid contact with the water, oil, or oily materials or affected wildlife.
The shoreline and water along Santa Rosa Sound on the north side of the island is still clean, clear and open for swimming.
Approximately 179 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled: 34 miles in Louisiana, 42 miles in Mississippi, 42 miles in Alabama, and 61 miles in Florida.
BP claims to be collecting 700,000 gallons of oil daily however the U.S. government estimates around 2.5 million gallons are escaping.
About 1.48 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied: 977,000 on the surface and 502,000 subsea. 275 controlled burns have been conducted, efficiently removing a total of more than 10 million gallons of oil from the open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife.
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 June 25, 2010. Click on images for larger picture.
Nearshore Surface Oil Forecast Deepwater Horizon MC252: This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Thursday, June 24 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 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 be predominantly easterly (E/ESE) through Sunday at speeds of 7-15 kts. The northern edge of the slick continues to move northwest threatening the barrier islands of Mississippi/Alabama and the Florida Panhandle east to Freeport.
Under these persistent easterly winds, the Chandeleur Islands, Breton Sound and the Mississippi Delta are also increasingly threatened by shoreline contacts in this forecast period.
Models suggest westward currents developing south of the Delta may begin moving oil west towards Terrebonne Bay.
Landfall Reports and Predictions:
Tar balls, tar patties and mousse continue to be found in Northwest Florida, with the heaviest impacts reported between Escambia and Walton 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.
Perdido Pass, Pensacola Pass and Destin Pass will be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil from entering inland waters. Boom will be deployed across each Pass at flood tide (water coming in) and removed at ebb tide (water going out).
A new website, created by BP, lists vessel decontamination locations within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector for oiled boats: http://bpdecon.com.
A slight change in winds and currents has minimized the potential for oil impacts to continue moving east. Impacts in the already affected areas in Northwest Florida will continue within the next 72 hours.
The majority of impacts to Florida’s shoreline will likely be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse – a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color.
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 oil 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.
Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds.
These waterways will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.
On Site Actions:
Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.
On June 23, the use of the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Containment Cap System was temporarily suspended when a discharge of liquids was observed from a diverter valve on the drill ship Discoverer Enterprise. As a precautionary measure, the LMRP Containment Cap System, which is attached to the Discover Enterprise, was removed to ensure the safety of operations and allow the unexpected release of liquids to be analyzed.
The LMRP Containment Cap System was reinstalled later in the evening. The capture of oil and gas through the blowout preventer’s choke line to the Q4000 vessel on the surface continues. Learn more.
On June 24, approximately 15,785 barrels of oil were collected, 7,940 barrels of oil were flared and 54.7 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. BP is continuing efforts to drill two relief wells.
State Actions:
The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1.
Five state-leased skimmers are operating 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 June 23, Governor Crist joined oceanography experts and the United States Coast Guard in Pensacola to assess Gulf recovery cleanup progress. Learn more.
On June 22, Governor Crist sent a letter to Doug Suttles, Chief Operating Officer of Exploration and Production for BP America Inc., requesting the data needed to evaluate the claims process and measure the economic impact of the losses to all level of governments throughout Florida. Learn more.
DEP issued a Second Amended Emergency Final Order to accelerate preparedness and restoration in the counties under the Governor’s state-of-emergency Executive Orders. View approved emergency permits here.
Individuals, businesses and/or condominiums are not exempt from permitting requirements under the provisions of the Emergency Final Order. For more information on permits, visit the Coastal Construction Control Line Permitting site at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/beaches/programs/ccclprog.htm.
DEP conducted water and sediment sampling to use as a baseline and is monitoring air quality data. Statewide air quality monitoring is conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Learn more at http://www.airnow.gov/ or http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/.
In addition, real-time sampling data can be viewed at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/air.htm.
- Air quality reports for June 24 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 367,600 feet of boom has been placed in Northwest Florida along the most sensitive areas and 176,300 feet is staged. Additionally, counties in the region are moving forward with supplemental booming plans. As of June 24, 308,661 feet of supplemental boom has been deployed or staged by Florida contractors.
Placement of boom is based on where the oil is threatening, as well as each region’s area contingency plan.
Health Effects:
Today, June 25, Escambia County Health Department, in coordination with Escambia County Emergency Management and local officials rescinded the health advisory issued on June 23 for the following beach waters in Escambia County that were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Public Walkover 23 at Pensacola Beach west to the entrance of Ft. Pickens.
Health officials are working with the National Parks Service to determine if the health advisory for the beaches of Ft. Pickens and Johnson Beach can also be lifted today. Learn more.
Gulf waters in Escambia County, from the Park West (Pickens Gate) recreation area through Walkover 23 (just west of Portofino) are closed to all swimming and wading until further notice. Double Red flags have been posted. Learn more.
On June 24, Okaloosa County Health Department, in coordination with Okaloosa County Emergency Management and local officials posted a health notice for the area extending from the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Pelican Beach Resort in Destin. Learn more.
On June 23, Walton County Health Department, in coordination with Walton County Emergency Management and local officials posted a health advisory for the area extending from the Miramar Beach access point eastward to the east end of Top Sail State Park. 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:
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.
On June 23, NOAA opened 8,388 square miles of previously closed federal fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico, because the agency has not observed oil in the area. This federal closure does not apply to state waters. Closing fishing in the remaining areas is a precautionary measure to ensure that seafood from the Gulf will remain safe for consumers. This leaves approximately 67 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.
Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 1-800-440-0858.
Tourism:
Through www.VISITFLORIDA.com/floridalive, vacationers are able to view web cams, real-time photos, live Twitter feeds and beach condition updates.
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 Property Owners:
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.
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.
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, fisherman, Fishery Failure Determination, fishing, Florida, Florida seafood products, GOHSEP, Governance, government, Governor Charlie Crist, Gulf of Mexico, gulf oil map, June 25, 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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