http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kwellsreliefwells062710.htm

• The President has dispatched the secretaries of Commerce, Interior and Homeland Security, as well as the NOAA Administrator, to return to the Gulf Coast this week. Specific details on their travel will come from their departments and agencies, but collectively they will be inspecting the ongoing, coordinated response efforts to mitigate the impact of the spill on public health, the environment and the economy. They will meet with business owners to discuss potential economic impacts of this spill across the Gulf Coast region.

• Secretary Salazar, Secretary Napolitano, EPA Administrator Jackson and other members of the Obama administration today met with BP CEO Tony Hayward and BP America Chairman and President Lamar McKay at the Department of the Interior to discuss ongoing, coordinated response efforts and receive an update on BP’s mitigation plans for potentially impacted Gulf Coast states. This is the most recent in a series of meetings that have taken place between administration leadership and BP leadership.

• Response crews continue to test a new technique to break up the oil before it reaches the surface—a remotely operated underwater vehicle dispensing sub-surface dispersant at a rate of nine gallons per minute—with encouraging results so far. Nearly 3,000 gallons of subsea dispersants were applied, and BP and NOAA continue to evaluate these tests to determine the feasibility of continued use of subsea dispersants.

• More than 2,000 volunteers have been trained to assist in the response effort to date. Volunteer recruitment efforts include outreach to local fishermen with boats, which can be used as vessels of opportunity to assist contractors in deploying boom.

• Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels visited Louisiana with a team of experienced hazardous materials professionals leading an effort to ensure that oil spill cleanup workers receive necessary protections from the hazards of this work. OSHA is consulting with BP, as well as federal agency partners, to ensure that workers receive appropriate training and protective equipment.

• Nine staging areas are now set up to protect vital shoreline in all potentially affected Gulf Coast states (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Pascagoula, Miss., Dauphin Island, Ala., Port Sulphur, La., Shell Beach, La., Slidell, La., Port Fourchon, La., Venice, La.).

• BP is now accepting claims for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Please call BP’s helpline at 1-800-440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. For those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, can call the Coast Guard at 1-800-280-7118. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here. 

“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

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.