Situation Update

·       Navarre Beach and Santa Rosa's entire coastline is open for swimming and fishing. Two links to live Web cams on Navarre Beach are available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.

·       There are currently no swimming or fishing restrictions on Navarre Beach or anywhere in Santa Rosa County.

·       Reports of a rumor about possible evacuations due to the oil spill were received July 2, by Santa Rosa County. This Deepwater Horizon oil spill should not require an evacuation or any beach closures.

·       July 2, no new tar balls or other oil product were reported. Tar balls were present on the beach west of Crossover #10 in the areas not reached by daily clean-up crews. Clean-up crews were directed to those areas today. Last night, crews worked around the pier area and at the Navarre Beach Park area, and those areas were clear this morning.

·       Beachgoers may see signs posted in areas that are being or are scheduled to be cleaned, which also indicate what beach areas near public walkovers have no current oil impacts. The areas being cleaned are not closed, but beach goers may find other portions of the beach more enjoyable.

·       Tar balls, tar patties and sheen have been reported in Northwest Florida. Impacts in the already affected areas will continue within the next 72 hours.

·       A five-15 knot east wind will continue today across the northern-central gulf but will increase to 10-20 knots Saturday through Sunday. This in addition to a 40-60 percent chance of rain and three-five foot high seas may hamper some oil recovery efforts both onshore and offshore through the weekend. A predominant east wind and ocean current flow will push the oil plume westward and NOAA trajectories continue to predict impacts across the western panhandle mostly near Pensacola Bay through Sunday.

·       On July 2100 cleanup workers were scheduled on Navarre Beach and 80 were scheduled.

·       Cleanup crews from Mobile unified Command are cleaning private beaches and marshes. To arrange for cleanup, property owners should call 1-800-448-5816. The cleaning of other private property (such as oil tracked onto boardwalks, into homes, etc.) should be arranged by property owners. Those property owners should then file a claim for reimbursement of their expenses by calling 1-800-440-0858 or by visiting www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

·       The state announced today that branch 1 of the state branch command system, which represents Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, is expected to be operational on Tuesday, July 6. The branch will be located at the Bayou Chico staging area staffed with state, county, U.S. Coast Guard, BP, and contractor representatives.

·       The IRS has announced new efforts to help affected taxpayers, including a special Gulf Coast Assistance Day on July 17. Learn more at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill, under the "Claims Information" heading.

·       Current oil spill conditions are available online through the State Emergency Response Team GATOR map at http://map.floridadisaster.org/GATOR/. The map provides real time alerts, information and gives updates on oil on Florida's coastline. The SERT Gator map encompasses the entire Gulf coast and is color coded. Green circles are used for routine recon reports, orange for priority recon reports and red for emergency recon reports.

·       In order to expedite responses to oiled wildlife, please contact the oiled wildlife hotline at 1-866-557-1401 if oiled wildlife is spotted. Qualified personnel will respond to the report. Please do not touch or try and clean oiled wildlife.

·       On July 1, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission with federal partners announced the creation of an oiled bird recovery plan for rapid response to distressed birds.

·       Citizens are asked not to have direct contact with oil and oil contaminated products such as tar balls, tar patties, tar mats, and oil sheen. Only qualified members should handle oil products and oil contaminated materials. To report tar or oil on the beach, call the Florida State Warning Point Line at 1-877-272-8335 or # DEP from a cell phone.

·       Skimming and recreational vessel decontamination facilities are being established across the panhandle. The current list of vessel decontamination locations within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector for oiled boats is available at http://bpdecon.com.

·       BP reports that as of June 30, there are 505 trained Santa Rosa County Qualified Community Responders. Learn more about qualified community responders at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill, under the "Fact Sheets and Q & A" heading.

·       Reconnaissance missions are being coordinated daily from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee using air, land, and sea assets from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Civil Air Patrol, and the Florida National Guard.

·       Florida currently has five state-leased skimmers operating in Northwest Florida. The skimmers are working at the passes in Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties to protect sensitive inland water bodies.

·       Secretary Sole signed an emergency order authorizing the burning of product off shore in Florida waters. The county will notify residents before the burning starts.

·       Dispersants in Florida waters have been approved.

·       Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil from entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic during low tide.

 

Volunteer Information

·       A new volunteer opportunity for those wishing to assist at Navarre Beach and the oil spill response is now available. Shoreline Users Resource Force, or SURF volunteers, will be stationed on Navarre Beach to help with oil reconnaissance by watching and reporting beach conditions. Volunteers will not be allowed to participate in cleanup activities. A three-hour training course is required. The first courses will be offered in Navarre Beach Park on Thursday, July 8, from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm and Friday, July 9, from 9:00 am – noon and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. To register for the training courses, contact Santa Rosa County Help they Neighbor Volunteer Center at (850) 983-5223 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information, contact Chris Verlinde at (850) 623-3868 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

·       There are reports of companies attempting to scam individuals who want to help with beach clean up efforts involving the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Legitimate beach cleaning contractors provide all required training free of charge. Individuals approached by anyone offering employment only after payment, are encouraged to contact law enforcement immediately.

·       The complex nature of oil cleanup, coupled with health and safety concerns, limits the role of volunteers. Our area is not only being affected environmentally, but also by the loss of jobs connected to the tourism and fishing industries, leaving residents impacted or displaced economically and emotionally. Human service organizations, including nonprofits and faith based organizations, will need greater volunteer support in order to provide service to our impacted residents.

·       To learn more about volunteer opportunities in our area, please contact the Santa Rosa County Volunteer Reception Center operated through Help Thy Neighbors at (850) 983-5223.

·       Citizens are also asked to help spread the word that our beaches are open and encourage friends and family to visit our area to help minimize the economic impacts by visiting our restaurants, attractions, parks, hotels and condominiums.

 

Santa Rosa County Actions

·       Today, July 2, Santa Rosa County staff participated in a meeting with Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to discuss oil spill recovery and restoration issues.  

·       Santa Rosa County received payment for oil related expenses for the month of May today, July 2 in the amount of $104,701.73.

·       The Santa Rosa County water reconnaissance teams continue to survey water and boom conditions daily, weather permitting, providing real time information on oil products including photos and GPS coordinates.

·       County staff and reconnaissance teams continue to monitor beach conditions daily generally from day break until 6 p.m., weather permitting.

·       A beach clean up contingency plan for Navarre Beach was submitted to the Florida Emergency Operations Center on June 29.

·       Staff continue to monitor cleanup and skimming operations performed by crews under the direction of unified command.

·       Navarre Beach video updates are now available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill. The short clips show morning beach conditions including current weather, beach warning flag and any oil impacts as seen at the time of filming. Videos will be updated Monday through Friday (except for holidays), generally by noon.

·       On June 2, the EOC returned to a level 2, or partial activation with essential staff, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. until further notice. The Santa Rosa County Citizen Information Line at (850) 983-INFO or 4636 is open 24 hours daily.

·       Santa Rosa County and the State of Florida continue to make preparations to safeguard the state's shoreline.

 

Booms

·       Santa Rosa County and the City of Gulf Breeze re-opened booms on July 2. The boom will remain open until further notice unless there is an imminent threat of oil product verified by state or local surveillance. In this case, the boom could be closed without prior notice and boaters can call 850-602-0242 for emergency boom openings.

·       Boaters are asked to stay clear of boom on beaches and in open water. Boom has been placed in order to protect environmentally sensitive and strategic areas. Damaging or removing the boom puts those areas at risk. Crossing boom can cause serious damage to vessels.

·       Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds.

·       Oil containment boom (in feet) total: 660,961deployed in Florida

o        Tier 1: 255,900 / Tier 2: 133,600

o        Tier 3: 271,461 ( deployed by Florida contractors)

·       Santa Rosa County's approved additional boom locations and the location of the U.S. Coast Guard's Contingency booms are posted at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill, shown as a blue cross on the map (some locations have two crosses to show point to point locations).

·       Florida Department of Environmental Protection does not allow the installation of hay bales, temporary sandbags or other similar materials to prevent oil contamination along shorelines of sandy beaches, as they can complicate cleanup efforts and could cause serious long-term damage.

·       The FDEP Emergency Order that waives obtaining a permit for booms and protective measure is only for government and approved contractors. Businesses, condo owners or private citizens must still get a permit. All berms must be permitted.

·       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.

 

Health

·       July 2 water testing showed no dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons above what is normal at Navarre Beach Pier and Santa Rosa Island.

·       The Air Quality Index for June 30, was "Good" for ozone and fine particulate concentrations in the panhandle. Ozone and particle data are consistent with typical values that occur during this time of year and no obvious influence due to the oil spill is evident.

·       An online mental health survey for residents is being conducted to gather information on the effect of Deepwater Horizon incident on mental health at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill, under What's Hot. The survey will be available until the oil incident is resolved. For questions contact Daniel Hahn at (850) 983-4606 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

·       The Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida. Current advisories are posted at: www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/health.htm and www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill under "What's Hot."

·       The tar balls that are found resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill pose no different health risk than tar balls that are commonly found on Florida beaches. The Department of Health and DEP are closely monitoring health and environmental impacts to Florida's beaches and will notice an advisory if conditions become unsafe.

o        For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of tar balls, while not recommended, will do no harm. However, some people are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil and petroleum products. They may have an allergic reaction or develop rashes even from brief contact with oil. If contact occurs, wash the area with soap and water, baby oil, or a widely used, safe cleaning compound such as the cleaning paste sold at auto parts stores. Avoid using solvents, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, or similar products on the skin. These products, when applied to skin, present a greater health hazard than the smeared tarball itself.

 

BP Claims

·       A BP Community Outreach Center has been opened in Gulf Breeze at:

o        1198 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Ste. 6, Gulf Breeze FL 32561

o        Phone (850) 691-9116

·       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.

o        To help expedite a claims visit, call 1-800-440-0858 or start a claim at www.bp.com/claims before visiting the claims center, so adjusters at the claims office will have the information prior to your visit.

o        BP claims in Florida total 24,420 with approximately $22,375,703 paid.

o        BP claims in Santa Rosa County total 2,508 with approximately $2,313,914 paid.

 

Small Business Disaster & Bridge Loans

·       Governor Charlie Crist activated Florida's Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which will provide emergency, short-term loans to established small businesses in the designated counties. Applications for businesses are available. To receive an application or more information on the program, please contact the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development at (850) 487-2568, the Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (http://www.ffcfc.com) at (850) 681-3601, or TEAM Santa Rosa at (850) 623-0174. More information has also been posted at

o        Loan Applications:

  Issued: 502Accepted: 131Declined: 41Approved: 18Loan amount approved: $1,504,200.00

·       SBA representatives opened a disaster loan office at the Navarre Visitor Information Center located at 8543 Navarre Parkway (U.S. Hwy 98) in Navarre. Hours of operations will be Monday-Friday. The office will be closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day. More information can be found at: www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/SERV_DISASTERASSISTANCEGOV.html

 

Fishing

·       On June 28, NOAA modified the commercial and recreational fishing closure in the oil-affected portions of the Gulf of Mexico. The closure now measures 80,228 sq miles and covers approximately 33 percent of the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico are open to commercial and recreational fishing. For more information, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

·       All Santa Rosa County waters are currently open to fishing. Oil has not affected most of Florida waters and there are vast amounts open for fishing and other recreational activities and the FWC encourages everyone to fish where the waters are clear and to enjoy freshly harvested seafood products in these areas. Updated information regarding fishing advisories or harvest closures in Florida due to the BP oil spill will be posted online at http://myfwc.com/OilSpill/index.htm.

·       The FWC is taking precautionary actions and has issued a partial harvesting closure of saltwater fish and marine vertebrates. This closure covers state waters from the Alabama state line east to the Pensacola Beach tower (approximately 23 miles east and out nine miles from the coastline. Interior bays and estuaries remain open to fishing. The closure does not affect oysters, clams and scallops. Catch and release is still allowed. For more information visit http://myfwc.com/OilSpill/index.htm.

·         The FWC & 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/  

 

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 (866) 279-7983 or (877) 847-7470.

·       103 vessels have been deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program.

 

Important Phone Numbers

·       Florida Oil Spill Information Line is- available from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. EDT daily for citizen's questions. - 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 1-281-366-5511

·       Report Oiled Wildlife- 1-866-557-1401

·       Report Oiled Shoreline to State Warning Point- 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or #DEP from a cell phone

·       To Report Oiled Shoreline to BP- 877-389-8932

·       BP Toll-Free Claims line- 1800-440-0858

·       BP's Community Information line- 1-866-448-5816

·       Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gauging hotline: 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

 

General Safety Information

www.santarosa.fl.govCitizens 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 24 hours daily. For general health information regarding the oil spill and exposure to oil spill products contact the Florida Poison Control information centers at 1-800-222-1222.