Deepwater Horizion Oil Spill Updates for South Walton Beach
May 2, 2010 by Craig Baranowski
Filed under Blog
NOAA: Surface oil no longer a threat to Florida and Northwest Florida Beaches!! 07/31/10
I am sure many of you have been following the national news story surrounding the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The seriousness of this oil spill has increased exponentially since the initial explosion of the oil rig on April 20th, 2010. Team Baranowski has received many calls and emails regarding the oil spill and how it will impact the beautiful beaches of South Walton and our fragile wildlife.
Currently, South Walton Beach has experienced minimal effects of the spill at our beaches. As of June 30th 2010 a few penny-sized tar balls have made contact with our beaches along Scenic Highway 30-A and they have been immediately cleaned up. The next few weeks will be critical on how the oil spill will ultimately affect our area. Team Baranowski will continue to advise our clients of the impact of the oil spill and provide updates as local conditions evolve.
Rest assured that there are significant corrective actions being taken by the Unified Command with a comprehensive oil-well intervention and spill-response plan following the April 22nd sinking of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Nearly 2,000 personnel are involved in the response effort with additional resources being mobilized as needed. The federal government has been fully engaged in the response since the incident occurred on April 20.
For updates we recommend you visit
www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Deepwater Horizon Updates
VIDEO of Releif Well and Operations Overview – 55 feet from well! June 27 2010
Deepwater Horizon Situation Report for Tuesday June 29th, 2010
Deepwater Horizon Situation Report for Monday June 7th, 2010
Deepwater Horizon 24Hr NOAA Trajectory Forecast Map June 6 2010
Deepwater Horizon Trajectory Map May 17th 2010
Deepwater Horizon Situation Report and Update May 10th, 2010
Deepwater Horizon Update May 8th 2010
Deepwater Horizon 24hr Trajectory Map May 4th 2010
Deepwater Horizon Situation Report May 5th 2010
Walton County Oil Spill Release #4 – May 3rd 2010
Walton County Oil Spill Release #3 – May 3rd 2010
Walton County Oil Spill Release #2 – April 29th 2010
The following corrective actions have been implemented to date:
The Minerals Management Service remains in contact with all oil and gas operators in the sheen area. Two platforms have stopped production and one has been evacuated as a safety measure. Approximately 6.2 million cubic feet of natural gas is shut-in. This is less than one-tenth of a percent of daily gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.
Response crews worked through the night using a ROV to dispense 3,000 gallons of sub-surface dispersant at a rate of nine gallons per minute. BP and NOAA are evaluating the results of the test procedure to determine its feasability for continued use.
Oil Report Line/Volunteer Line – (866)-448-5816
Rapid response teams are staged to deploy to shorlines affected by oil to evaluate and determine an appropriate clean-up effort to minimize the impact to the environment.
BP has established a volunteer program and set up a toll-free number for people to call. When calling, people should communicate what they are volunteering for what areas they are available to work in. In addition, people can call to learn about the training that is required to work in oil spill clean-up operations.
Claim Line (800)-440-0858
BP has established a claim system and an 800 number for people to call. This system will allow people to begin the process to recover lost income or recoup damage related expenses.
To report oiled or injured wildlife, please call (866)-557-1401.
Incident Facts:
- More than 275,580 feet of boom (barrier) has been assigned to contain the spill. An additional 316,470 feet is available.
- To date, the oil spill response team has recovered 23,968 barrels (1,006,656 gallons) of an oil-water mix.
- 68 response vessels are being used including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels.
- 142,914 gallons of dispersant have been deployed and an additional 68,300 gallons are available.
- Six staging areas are in place and ready to protect sensitive shorelines. These areas include: Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla. Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss., Theodore, Ala., and Port Sulphur, La.
- 126 people were on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig when the incident occurred. 11 remain unaccounted for; 17 were injured, 3 of them critically. 1 injured person remains in the hospital.
For the latest information visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com or follow us on Twitter at or on Facebook at Deepwater Horizon Response.
CONTACT INFORMATION
To report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information: (866)-448-5816
To submit alternative response technology, services or products: (281) 366-5511
To submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system: (281) 366-5511
To submit a claim for damages: (800) 440-0858
To report oiled wildlife: (866) 557-1401
To contact the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center: (985) 902-5231
Update for May 5th 2010 – As of today the trajectory of the oil spill in NOT heading towards South Walton Beach.
Deepwater Horizon 24 hour Trajectory Map for May 4th 2010
Below is an update from the Walton County Emergency Management Team detailing their oil spill action plan:
Walton County Emergency Management in conjunction with C.W. Roberts Contracting INC, has developed a plan to prevent the oil from reaching the 26 miles of Walton County beaches. This makes Walton County the first county in our area to have a plan, outside of placing booms, that will take effect before the oil is on the beaches. Booms are 90 percent ineffective in open water. The plan encompasses three stages.
In stage one, barges equipped with blowers will be placed to spray hay into the water for the oil to adhere to. The hay will clump together with the oil and will make it easier to remove the waste from the water. The plan is to spot the oil as it nears our beaches, but is still miles off shore, and begin to spread the hay. (Video demonstration will be available on http://www.waltonso.org and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office FaceBook on Wednesday)
Stage two includes 50,000 feet of New Green Type 4 belted silt retention fence ready to be deployed along the shores of the Walton County beaches. As needed, the fencing will be positioned along the beach as a second line defense against the oil. Bales of hay are being strategically placed along the beaches of Walton County and will be rapidly deployed in the case oil does reach the coast. The hay will be spread along the shore in front of the New Green Type 4 belted silt retention fence to capture the oil and will make cleanup easier. The oil covered hay can be cleaned up using the machinery the county uses to clean up the seaweed.
Stage three provides a great defense for our precious Coastal Dune Lakes. The lakes will be protected by concrete jersey walls, wrapped with the New Green Type 4 belted silt retention fence, placed and lined with GeoHay. GeoHay is made from 1-hundred percent recycled synthetic fiber. This product acts as a filter and is highly absorbent, as well as non-biodegradable, strong, and durable.
Additionally Regional Utilities and Murphy Oil have provided 10,000 feet of boom that is ready to be deployed. Until floating petroleum approaches the Florida Coast, it is impossible to predict the precise locations, extent and amount of time the boom equipment would need to be deployed.
The county is submitting the action plan to the Department of Environmental Protection seeking their approval. The county is prepared to move forward with this plan in an effort to protect the beaches of Walton County.
Today the Department of Health published important information regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“At this time, there are no indications of any health risks to Floridians due to the Deepwater Horizon incident,” said State Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros, M.D., M.P.H. “DOH and DEP are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida’s beaches and will issue an advisory if conditions become unsafe.”
For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount oil, while not recommended, will do no harm. However, some people are sensitive to chemicals, including hydrocarbons found in the crude oil and petroleum products. They may experience skin or eye irritation even from brief contact with oil. In general, contact with oil should be avoided. If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water. DOH discourages the use of gasoline, kerosene or other solvents to clean oil from skin.
To learn more about the potential health impacts and first aid measures regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, download the frequently asked questions at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/files/faq_doh_051010.pdf.
To stay up-to-date regarding Florida’s ongoing efforts regarding the spill visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon and sign up for email updates or follow
June 7th, 2010 Update from Deepwaterhorizionresponse.com
The relief well is less than 55 feet away! This is HUGE progress. Click link below to view the video.
http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kwellsreliefwells062710.htm
(877) 955-8773 (Spanish)
(877) 955-8707 (Creole)
(800) 955-8771 (TDD)
(800) 955-8770 (voice)
(800) 435-7352
(877) MY-FL-CFO
(877) 693-5236
(800) 342-2762
(850) 410-9700 (TDD)
NOAA: Surface oil no longer a threat to Florida
Surface oil no longer poses a threat to Florida coastlines, federal officials said Friday, but submerged oil could continue to wash onto Pensacola beaches for some time.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Friday that only scattered patches of light oil sheen remain on the surface of the Gulf near the Mississippi River Delta.
The flow of oil from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon well has been stopped since the well was temporarily capped July 15. If the well remains capped, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said Northwest Florida beaches are past the worst of the oil contamination.
"Northwest Florida has seen the worst. It will taper off and diminish considerably, but we will continue to see it at some level for some time," Lubchenco said.
The latest analysis is based on aerial and satellite observations of surface oil and by monitoring the loop current.
"For southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Eastern Seaboard, the coast remains clear," Lubchenco said. "With the flow stopped and the loop current a considerable distance away, the light sheen remaining on the Gulf's surface will continue to biodegrade and disperse but will not travel far."
Not all of the oil in the Gulf can be seen from above, and Lubchenco said submerged oil could continue to wash ashore sporadically near Pensacola.
"The oil that is just below the surface is harder to see remotely. It clearly is there, both in the form of tar balls as well as emulsified oil. We certainly expect some oil to continue to come ashore, but in more limited quantities, in the northern Gulf," Lubchenco said.
The analysis found that large loop current eddy has pinched off and detached from the main current, which cuts off the oil's path to southern Florida and East Coast beaches.
"Until the loop current fully reforms, there is no clear way for oil to be transported to southern Florida or beyond," according to the NOAA release.
The current is not expected to reform for several months. If the well remains capped, almost all of the surface oil will have dissipated by that time, officials said.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco cautioned that scientists will continue studying the potential effects of the subsurface crude.
"Diluted and out of sight does not mean benign," she said. "But in those concentrations, there will be minimal impact to the big things that are out in the ocean: big fish, big marine mammals, birds."
She said scientists still don't know the oil's environmental effect underwater.