Situation Update

• Currently, there are no impacts to the state projected in the next 72 hours. The loop current is far south of the oil and there is no imminent threat that the oil will be picked up by the loop current. However, Florida continues to make preparations to safeguard the state's shoreline.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are monitoring the gulf oil spill and offering assistance as needed to lead federal agencies and impacted states and communities.

DEP, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), county governments, water management districts and several federal agencies continue to conduct pre-impact assessments, including sampling of water, fish, shellfish and habitats along the Florida coastline and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Statewide air quality monitoring is ongoing in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Individuals concerned about air quality issues can view an up-to-date map with pollutant concentrations at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill or www.airnow.gov, or they can report suspected changes in air quality at http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/.

Santa Rosa County beaches are open.

 

 

Volunteer Training

Training descriptions:

• Module 1 (Basic HSE Training) - This volunteer would never come in contact with spilled oil (Ex: helping with beach cleanup at pre landfall conditions)
• Module 2 (Contractors and Paraprofessionals) - This person would be a contractor conducting work at the staging site.
• Module 3 (Wildlife Recovery and Rehabilitation) - This person would be a trained Wildlife Recovery & Rehabilitation volunteer tasked with aiding in the clean-up of wildlife. It is a graded certification course.
• Module 4 - Responders who might have direct contact with petroleum (this would include boat captains and crew who are already contracted to BP). Those who are not contracted must work through the Vessel of Opportunity program. Safety, Marine and Hazwoper training is delivered if their vessel is selected to be contracted through that program.

 

 

Volunteer Training Dates:

• Monday, May 10- Modules 1&2 (45 minutes each), 6 p.m. at the Community Life Center located at 4115 Soundside Drive, Midway FL
• Friday, May 14- Modules 1&2 (45 minutes each), 3 p.m. at the Gulf Breeze Recreational Center located at 800 Shoreline Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL
• Friday, May 14- Module 3 (4 hour), 5 p.m. at the Gulf Breeze Recreational Center located at 800 Shoreline Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL
• Monday, May 17- Modules 1&2 (45 minutes each), 6 p.m. at the Community Life Center located at 4115 Soundside Drive, Midway FL
• Friday, May 21- Modules 1&2 (45 minutes each, 6 p.m. at the Milton Community Center located at 5629 Byrom Street
• A training registration phone number and/or Website was not yet available from the BP training contractor. As soon as the information is available, we will disseminate.

 

 

Volunteer Safety

• For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should be conducted by trained responders. Untrained rescuers may cause more harm than good.
• Anyone involved in volunteer efforts to clear trash from the beaches should be careful of shorebird nesting areas. If birds in the area are acting agitated, calling or swooping at people, there is a good possibility it is a nesting area. The FWC asks the public and oil spill responders to retreat the way they approached and leave the nesting area.

o        Avoid working in areas where shorebirds are nesting; never enter or approach a posted shorebird area.

o        When near nesting areas, stay below the high tide (wrack) line. Shorebirds nest on the open beach above this line. Nests are scrapes in the sand and the eggs are small and camouflaged. They can easily be crushed by pedestrians and vehicles.

o        Remove only manmade trash. Seaweed and other natural debris are critical to shorebirds.

o        Even though the wrack line is important to wildlife, if it becomes oiled it then becomes a death trap for birds and other wildlife and makes removal of oil from the beach more difficult. Timing for removal of beach wrack in oil spill response is critical. It should be left on the beach in areas of active nesting as long as possible but removed immediately prior to beaches becoming oiled. In areas distant from active nesting, cleanup of wrack and other natural debris can be performed to better facilitate future oil removal.

Fishing

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued an executive order to temporarily suspend a restriction on the use of purse seines for the commercial harvest of baitfish in inshore waters of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The FWC is taking this action to help relieve possible economic hardships on the commercial fishing industry that may occur from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
• NOAA Fisheries Service modified the boundaries of the closed fishing area to better reflect the current extent of the oil pollution. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area.

o        The closure will be in effect for 10 days, from May 7, 2010 through May 17, 2010,12:01 a.m., local time, unless conditions allow NOAA Fisheries Service to terminate it sooner.

o        This action temporarily closes the area bound by the following coordinates to all fishing: from the point where 29o50' N. lat. intersects with the 3 nautical mile Louisiana state boundary; proceeding easterly to the point 29o50' N. lat. and 87o28' W. long.; thence, southeasterly to the point 29o20' N. lat. and 86o55' W. long.; thence, southwesterly to the point 28o18' N. lat. and 87o44' W. long.; thence, northwesterly to the point 28o30' N. lat. and 89o W. long.; thence, northwesterly to the point where 28o52' N. lat. intersects with the 3 nautical mile Louisiana state boundary; thence along the seaward limit of Louisiana's waters.

• Fishermen who wish to contact BP about a claim should call 1-800-440-0858.

 

Booming Information from BP        

• The additional booming sites proposed for Santa Rosa County were approved by unified command on May 5 and was then denied today. Santa Rosa County is actively working with the state to reconsider the original request. This includes:

o        3-Mile Bridge- Priority 1

o        Bob Sikes Bridge- Priority 1

o        Garcon Point Bridge- Priority 2

o        I-10 Bridge- Priority 2

• Boom placed Thursday, May 6- 15,700 feet:

o        Aquatic Preserve Yellow River (site # PEN12)- 2,500

o        Central Oyster Bed (site # PEN21)- 3,000 feet

o        Red Fish Cove Oyster Reef (site # PEN19)- 3,500

o        White Point Oyster Bay (site # PEN36)- 4,000 feet

o        Weaver River (site # PEN42)- 2,700 feet

• Today's boom objective:

o        Okaloosa County

§         D30 Oyster Bed (hard to identify)- 1,800 feet

§         D41 Joes Bayou-1800 feet

§         D32 Indian Bayou-1,500 feet               

§         D8 ,D6, D32, D41-8,000 feet

o        SANTA ROSA - We are working on communications with the US Air Force to allow us to start booming.

o        Ft. Walton Creighton Beach - 2,400 feet of boom

• Boom quantities at Pensacola NAS as of May 7- 11,300 on deck, 20,000 on order for May 8
• Boom placed in Florida- 93,500 feet
• Maps of the U.S. Coast Guard's booming strategy, including overall locations and a priority listing, are available online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.

 

 

Actions Taken By Santa Rosa County

• The County has retained a consulting team to evaluate shoreline protection and shoreline restoration methodologies. These systems include technologies ranging from containment booms, vacuum systems, and various forms of absorbents.
• Midway Fire Department will teach a 4-hour Hazmat training to Santa Rosa County staff, Navarre and Pace CERT teams, and the Medical Reserve Corps. To join CERT or MRC, please contact Daniel Hahn at (850) 983-5360.
• Established a process for reviewing protection requests.
• Emergency management staff has identified long and short term objectives, to include but not limited to:

o        Continue coordinating training needed for workers and volunteers to participate in clean-up & coordinate training opportunities.

o        Update priority list for boom requests to unified command

o        Request BP to establish a claims/information office in Navarre, which was denied.

o        Follow up on air, water and sediment quality baseline tests

o        Monitor water for oil or affected wildlife

o        Document local resources used

o        Research and track financial impacts and tourism

o        Prepare contingency plan for response to protect Santa Rosa resources

o        Monitor requests made to unified command

• Santa Rosa County is working with professional animal service organizations to coordinate response activities for animals affected by any oil on our coast.
• A local state of emergency was declared at 3 p.m., Friday, April 30, allowing the county to implement proactive measures as needed.
• Emergency management officials continue to participate in the unified command and State of Florida Department of Emergency Management conference calls to obtain the lasted information to plan our role accordingly.
• Pre-qualified debris contractors and environmental engineering consultants have been contacted and are ready to respond as required.
• The EOC is activated at a level 2, or partial activation with essential staff, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. until further notice.

 

 

Coast Watchers/Volunteer Registration

The Governor's Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service is encouraging Floridians and visitors to watch for oiled wildlife, vegetation, and beaches by becoming a Coast Watch volunteer.  

• The Coast Watchers will assist BP, the state of Florida and partnering organizations in identifying beaches that need attention.
• Coast Watchers will work within the coastal communities where they live or visit and commit to do the following:

o        Report injured or oiled animals to the Wildlife Distress Hotline: 1-866-557-1401.

o        Report oiled shoreline to: 1-866-448-5816.

o        Report a change in Air Quality to: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/.

• For information on scheduled beach cleanups and other volunteer opportunities, visit www.VolunteerFlorida.org.
• To become a part of the Santa Rosa County volunteer database for volunteer opportunities that may arise, contact the Volunteer Reception Center operated through Help Thy Neighbors in coordination with emergency management at (850) 983-5223.

 

 

BP Claims

• All claimants will be directed to a hotline (1-800-440-0858) that is manned by the catastrophic loss division of ESIS specializing in oil spill claims
• Payments will be made to address immediate issues associated with property damage or loss of income due to the oil spill
• BP believes that it is appropriate to provide interim payments to claimants who are not receiving ordinary income while the cleanup is underway
• Within 48 hours of receiving supporting documentation (e.g. tax return) the claim will be evaluated and the claimant will be notified of an advance payment for the claim
• The equivalent of 1 month's income will be paid and these payments will continue until they are able to return to work or their overall claim is resolved.
• BP claims can be handled via phone or in person. Bills will be paid or reimbursed.
• If a claim is rejected the person will be notified in writing of non-payment
• Claims are currently being paid
• A link to information on some of the types of claims available and who can submit each claim is available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill or directly at www.uscg.mil/npfc/Claims/default.asp#types_of_claims.

 

 

Department of Financial Services

• Florida CFO Alex Sink today announced that her Department of Financial Services' toll-free Consumer Help Line, at 1-877-My-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236), is prepared to assist business owners impacted by the growing oil spill in the Gulf. Specialists are available from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and information is also available at www.MyFloridaCFO.com.
• Insurance specialists on the Helpline can answers questions about the claim filing process as it becomes available, but claims for damage or lost income should be filed with British Petroleum (BP) at 1-800-440-0858.
• CFO Sink provided the following tips for businesses:

o        First: Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. News reports suggest that many condominium owners, hotels and restaurants are already having increased cancellations, and it's important that when these cancellations occur, the canceling party is questioned whether the cause is because of the oil spill. If the answer is yes, keep a record of the person's name and contact information, and also the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.

o        Second: Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and be able to provide records, sales receipts and documentation to support such a claim. A good idea would be to compare business now to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred. 

o        Third: Make a detailed list of assets - including non-structural - and include appropriate records to support the list. For example: if your member's hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach and that beach has oil reach its shores, the business' assets are damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure, and it is important to record this depreciation.

o        Be wary of insurance settlement scams. - For businesses who may have already begun the claims filing process with BP, first, make sure you are dealing with authorized representatives from BP and not scam artists; and be careful not to sign waivers of liability too quickly without getting adequate legal and financial counsel.

 

 

Community Meetings

• The link to recordings of the May 3 community meetings has been repaired.
• Questions asked by attendees at yesterday's meeting are being complied and will be sent to BP for follow up.
• Future community meetings will be announced as they are scheduled.
• Santa Rosa County officials and emergency management staff are available to speak to groups, please contact 983-5360 for more details.

 

 

 

 

Training for Wildlife Recovery & Rehabilitation Paraprofessionals

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, a BP contractor, to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. The service recognizes Tri-State's expertise in wildlife oil spill response, and while many wildlife organizations and individuals have expressed interest in providing their assistance, all rehabilitation efforts must be coordinated through the service and Tri-State. Coordination is vitally important for recovery and research efforts, and specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you already have wildlife training, call BP at 1-866-557-1401.
• Computer based training for wildlife recovery and rehabilitation paraprofessionals is available online at https://www2.virtualtrainingassistant.com/BPPublic/wc.dll?learner~cmenu
• Go to "I'm a New Student" where a page will pop up for you to self-register. Keep your log in and password info:

o        There are 4 lesson modules in the training

o        The first lesson is an attachment that determines if you are a qualified wildlife recovery paraprofessional. Should you not meet the qualifications listed, you will not be allowed to move further into the training

o        The second lesson is the training CBT itself.

o        The third lesson is the test (CBT Exam); you will need to score 80% on the test and will have three chances to pass.

o        The fourth lesson is the certificate that you should print and bring with you to the rehabilitation site where you will be working.

 

 

Fraud

To report possible causes of fraud, call the Attorney General's Office fraud hotline at 1-866-966-7226

 

 

Vessels of Opportunity (boats) program

• BP is looking to contract shrimp boats, oyster boats and other vessels for hire through the Vessel of Opportunities Program to deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information 907-301-8878
• Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system: (281) 366-5511

 

 

Alternative Response Technology

• To submit alternative response technology, services or products please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (281) 366-5511.

 

 

Florida Emergency Information Line

• The Florida Emergency Information Line is available as a link to informational resources regarding the Deepwater Horizon Response: (800) 342-3557.

 

 

Mobile Area Contingency Plan

To view the Coast Guard Sector Mobile Area Contingency Plan, visit http://ocean.floridamarine.org/ACP/MOBACP/StartHere.html

 

 

 

 

Health-Related Concerns

• Poison control centers in the gulf region are available to take any and all health-related calls connected to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. If you or a loved one is worried about health issues related to the Gulf spill, please call your local poison control center at (800) 222-1222.
• Individuals with an air quality question or concern should contact the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.

 

 

Oiled Wildlife

• To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401 and leave a message. Messages will be checked hourly. Individuals are urged not to attempt to help injured or oiled animals, but to report any sightings to the toll free number.

 

 

Report Oil Sightings

• To report oiled shoreline, please call 1-866-448-5816.

 

 

Other Contact Numbers

• Transocean hotline: 832-587-8554
• MI Swaco hotline: 888-318-6765
• BP Investor Relations: 381-366-3123
• BP family hotline: 281-36-578
• BP third party contractor hotline: 281-366-5578

 

 

General Safety Information

• www.santarosa.fl.govPlease monitor your home weather radio and local media outlets for the most up-to-date information. Your best defense in any disaster is a NOAA Weather radio. Citizens can signup to automatically receive breaking news alerts from Santa Rosa County Emergency Management via e-mail or as a text message on their cell phone at: www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency/publicwarning.html.

 

Citizen Information Line

• The Santa Rosa County Citizen Information Line at (850) 983-INFO or 4636 is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.