Deepwater Horizon county action plan update #24

• An additional booming plan for Santa Rosa County that was drafted by the state’s contractor WRS for the county, has been approved by unified command and the plan and booming map are posted at www.santarosal.fl.gov/oilspill, shown as a blue cross on the map (some locations have two crosses to show point to point locations).

• The following booming sites, which are in addition to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Area Contingency Plan, would be deployed by Santa Rosa’s selected state contractor, DRC, who would be responsible for monitoring, maintaining and disposal of any oil material:

1. Zamarra Canal
2. Gilmore Bayou
3. Woodland Bayou
4. Villa Venyce
5. Santa Rosa Shores
6. Hoffman Bayou
7. Polynesian Isle
8. East River
9. Two booms in Pensacola Bay

• To avoid possible damage to booms, the additional 9,520 feet of boom will not be placed until Santa Rosa County is 72-hours from potential impact. A conference call will be scheduled for Wednesday, June 2 with FDEP to discuss a possible deployment timeline for our regional area.
• The needed Army Corps of Engineering permitting for this plan has been received and has been signed by the county.
• The state’s contractor, DRC, is on standby and ready to respond as needed in Santa Rosa County.
• A request for a BP and/or FDEP Strike Team has been made to unified command for the inland bays and four miles of beach for any oil products that may breach the booms placed by BP and the county’s contractor DRC. The plan has not been approved, but the draft plan is posted at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition, and make repairs as needed, to currently placed booms.

Situation Update

• Navarre Beach and Santa Rosa’s entire coastline is open.  Two links to live Web cams on Navarre Beach are available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.
• Winds and currents continue to keep the plume away from the Florida coastline for at least the next 72 hours.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting regular reconnaissance flights to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• According to the NOAA oil plume model, the oil spill is 55 miles from of Pensacola.
• If Santa Rosa County falls in the 72-hour potential threat zone, BP has a three step approach which resources staged or currently deployed to collect sheen and tar balls that includes skimmers, both containment and deflection boom, and SCAT teams for any material that might reach the shore.  Additional operational plans to retrieve tar mats before they reach the shore are also in place.
• Unified Area Command has consolidated a report of fish and wildlife collected in the Deepwater Horizon/BP incident impact area.  The report is updated each day at noon and is available at http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/55963.
• BP announced the availability of an informational Web site designed to offer state-specific oil spill information to residents of Florida communities affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Residents are encouraged to visit this site frequently and sign up for the mailing list to receive information about BP’s spill response. The Florida state site can be found at www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and promising job placement for a fee.  BP does not charge to train and hire applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• The Gulf Oil Spill Economic Recovery Task Force has been established. It will facilitate efforts by Florida businesses and industries to recover from the loss of commerce and revenues due to the oil spill.  For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm.
• BP is providing a $100,000 grant through a Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteer Florida to maintain a database for the regulation of volunteers:  http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/volunteerflorida/viewEventDetails.do?eventId=31601.
• Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council will receive an amount of $500,000 to cover the cost of the first 45 days of the proposed marketing plan put in place to help Florida tourism.
• Residents are asked to stay clear of boom on beaches and in open water. Boom has been placed to protect environmentally sensitive and strategic areas and damaging or removing the boom puts those areas at risk. Crossing boom can cause serious damage to vessels. 
• The EOC will remain at level 3 monitoring and will continue to monitor the situation, participate in briefings and daily conference calls, remain engaged in incident activities, and adjust as needed throughout the incident.  Media releases will continue as needed.  .
• A volunteer frequently asked questions link is now available at www.santarosa,fl.gov/oilspill under Volunteer Information as "Volunteer FAQ."
• Oil on Florida’s coastline will most likely be in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar patches or mats. To learn more visit  For more information visit www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill, under the Fact Sheet and Q & A heading.
• The public is reminded that ALL suspected sightings of oil substances from the spill should be reported directly to the oil sighting hotline at 1-866-448-5816.  Do not pick the substance up. When reporting to the hotline, please be ready to provided detailed sighting information, including a description and an address or prominent landmarks.
• Spill responders are asking for the public’s help in monitoring boom along the Gulf Coast. Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected, or adrift boom; and encouraged to keep their distance from boom especially at night and in conditions of restricted visibility.  Report damaged, vandalized, adrift, or stolen boom to 1-866-448-5816.
• Santa Rosa County and the State of Florida continue to make preparations to safeguard the state’s shoreline.
• In order to condense our updates, older information that is still valid including tips, links, training schedules and other information for business and residents, are now available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.

BP Claims

• BP Claims for Deepwater Horizon can now be submitted at www.bp.com/claims.
• To serve the residents of Santa Rosa County, BP opened a claims office in Midway on Friday, May 14. The office is located at 5668 Gulf Breeze Parkway Unit B-9 in Gulf Breeze. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

1. BP recommends anyone with a claim to call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. By calling the claims number, adjusters at the claims office will have the information prior to your visit.
2. The office is located at: BP Claims Office 5668 Gulf Breeze Pkwy Unit B-9 Gulf Breeze, FL 32563

• BP claims in Florida: 4,620/ approximately $3,360,515.03 paid

1. Wage Loss: 2,553 claims/ $1,602,932.19
2. Loss of Income:

• Commercial: 362 claims/ $237,976.93
• Business Interruption: 234 claims/ $103,488.28
• Shrimper: 104 claims/ $249,250.00
• Fisherman: 492 claims/ $564,994.79
• Oyster Harvester: 73 claims/ $2,500
• Crabber: 9 claims/ $5,000
• Recreational Fisherman: 4 claims/ $5,000
• Wholesale Distributor: 6 claims/$5,000
• Rental Property: 414 claims/ $66,416
• Charters: 229 claims/ $494,276.84
• Maintenance Company: 5 claims/ $7,680
• Seafood Processor: 12 claims/ $6,000
• Marine Repair: 15 claims/ $5,000
• Real Estate Sales: 45 claims/ $5,000

Fishing

• The fisheries, wildlife and seafood off of Florida’s coast in state waters are safe and there are no alerts at this time.
• On May 31, NOAA extended the boundaries of the closed fishing area in the oil oil-affected portions of the Gulf of Mexico up to the Mississippi federal-state water line and portions of the Alabama federal-state line. This federal closure does not apply to any state waters.  Fishing closure in these areas is a precautionary measure to ensure that seafood from the Gulf will remain safe for consumers. 
• The closed area now represents 61,854 square miles, which is slightly less than 26 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters.  This leaves more than 74 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. Details can be found at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
• The recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico waters off Florida reopened today.  The harvest season is scheduled to remain open until July 24 this year. For more information about red snapper management and regulations, go to www.MyFWC.com/Fishing.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission designated June 5 & 6 as Free Saltwater Fishing Days to encourage noncommercial fishing in Florida. During these dates, both residents and nonresidents in Florida can fish for saltwater species around the state without a license.  All other fishing rules apply.
• The FWC reminds Floridians and visitors that the state’s recreational and commercial fisheries have not been impacted by the oil spill and remain open for public enjoyment and commerce. Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual and are available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing.
• Modeling and mapping the actual and projected spill area is not an exact science. NOAA Fisheries Service strongly advises fishermen not to fish in areas where oil or oil sheens (very thin layers of floating oil) are present, even if those areas are not currently closed to fishing.
• Details can be found at:  http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/   

Small Business Disaster Loans Available

• Governor Crist announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved disaster loan funds for businesses along Florida’s Gulf coast that have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident.

1. SBA representatives opened a disaster loan office on Tuesday, May 18 at the Navarre Visitor Information Center located at 8543 Navarre Parkway (U.S. Hwy 98) in Navarre. Hours of operations will be 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday- Saturday until further notice.
2. More information can be found at: www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/SERV_DISASTERASSISTANCEGOV.html

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.
• 128 of 1,114 contracts have been activated for the Vessels of Opportunity program in Florida.
• Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system: (281) 366-5511

Important Phone Numbers

• Florida Oil Spill Information Line- 1-888- 337-3569
• Fraud Hotline- 1-866-966-7226.
• - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call
• Report Oiled Wildlife- 1-866-557-1401
• Report Oil Sightings- 1-866-448-5816
• BP Toll-Free Claims line- 1800-440-0858
• Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gauging hotline: 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

General Safety Information

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