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