Situation Update

•·  

     According to the Florida Department of Emergency Management, oil impact to immediate coastal areas is currently not expected in Florida through the next 72 hours (as of noon, May 5).

•·       Emergency management received calls about tar balls arriving on Navarre Beach.  Staff investigated and no tar balls were found. Photos were submitted and reviewed. The substance was hardpan, a naturally occurring organic material formed over thousands of years.

•·       The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has received numerous reports of a migratory bird "fall-out" event in the vicinity of Gulf Breeze, Florida. The term "Fallout" refers to birds that are alive and dropping down in big numbers along the migratory path, usually from natural exhaustion during their migration north. According to service migratory bird biologists, this is a common event that occurs annually.

•·       Citizens and businesses with coastal property are encouraged to document the condition of their property now, before any affects are seen.  This includes shoreline, structures, seawalls, docks, lifts, boats and anything that may come in contact with the oiled water.

•·       All along our Gulf front shoreline beaches are small, basically clear and somewhat "pointy" plankton. The Pteropod, also known as the sea butterfly, is a larval snail that is naturally occurring. These plankton blew in with the Portuguese Man-O-War and By the Wind Sailors. Although they are fairly sharp and may stick your fingers and hands when picked up or your foot when you step on them, they do not pose a threat to people. They are not washing ashore due to anything oil related.

•·       A fact sheet on the types of coastal habitats found in Santa Rosa County, how oil might behave in each habitat, and response considerations is available at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.

•·       Rumors have been reported that Santa Rosa Island will be evacuated this weekend.  At this time, we don't anticipate the affects of the oil spill necessitating the issue of any evacuation orders in Santa Rosa County. We understand that evacuating for any reason is disruptive, inconvenient and greatly impacts our citizens. The decision to issue an evacuation order is not one that is taken lightly by county officials. However, as with any incident, the safety of our residents and visitors is our number one concern. 

•·       Several residents have reported brown or black foam on Navarre Beach.  The foam is natural and not a result of the oil spill. DEP has tested local areas and will make the results public.

•·       Residents may have or begin to notice an odor carried in by the winds from off shore.

•·       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/. 

 

Booming in Santa Rosa County       

•·       The additional booming sites proposed for Santa Rosa County were approved by unified command today.  This includes:

•o        3-Mile Bridge

•o        Garcon Point Bridge

•o        Bob Sikes Bridge

•o        I-10 Bridge

•o        Zamarra Canal, Gulf Breeze

•o        Woodland Bayou, Gulf Breeze

•o        Hoffman Bayou, Gulf Breeze

•o        Deadman's Restoration Project, Gulf Breeze

•·       Boom placed Tuesday, May 4:

•o        Aquatic Preserve Yellow River (site # PEN12)

•o        Garcon Point Salt Marsh (site# PEN23)

•·       Today's goal is to place an additional 30,000 feet of boom at:

•o        Continued booming of Aquatic Preserve Yellow River (site # PEN12) and Garcon Point Salt Marsh (site PEN23)

•o        Central Oyster Bed (site # PEN21)- 7,500 feet

•o        Live Oaks National Seashore (site # PEN11)- 10,000 feet

•o        East Bay Sea Grass (site # PEN22)- 10,5000 feet

•o        Mullato Bayou (site # PEN45)- 2,000 feet

•·       Boom quantities at Pensacola NAS as of May 5- 45,000 on deck.

•·       Boom Deployments

•o        April 27- 2,500 feet deployed

•o        April 28- 21,200 feet deployed

•o        April 29- 14,100 feet deployed

•o        April 30- 19,000 feet deployed

•o        May 1-            18,000 feet deployed

•o        May 2- 13,000 feet deployed

•o        May 3- 3,500 feet deployed

•o        May 4- 26,900 feet deployed

•·       Maps, including overall locations and a priority listing, of the U.S. Coast Guard's booming strategy are available online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill. Additional locations have also been suggested by Santa Rosa County through the unified command system including the 3-Mile, Garcon Point, Bob Sikes and I-10 bridges.

 

BP Resources

•·       The Governor stated that BP has put up a $25 million Block Grant for the State of Florida.

•·       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.

•·       Programs Currently being worked on

•o        Shoreline Assessment/Clean Up Plan

•o        Pre Impact Debris Removal Program

•o        New Staging Area in Panama City being mobilized (85% complete)

 

Actions Taken By Santa Rosa County

•·       Emergency management staff had 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.

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

•·       For more information www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill

 

Community Meetings

•·       We were experiencing technical difficulties with the community meetings posted on our Website.  We expect the issue to be resolved by the close of business today. We apologize for the inconvenience.

•·       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.

 

Clean-Up Jobs

•·       Workforce Escarosa estimates that by the end of Wednesday, they will have received approximately 3,000 applications for the clean-up jobs with Advanced Employment Solutions.

 

Fraud

•·       The Attorney General's office reported instances of fraud from companies claiming to be BP training contractors. Free volunteer training will be available through Santa Rosa County. 

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

 

Visitor Information

•·       Navarre Beach and all of Santa Rosa County are open for visitors.

•·       Due to changing conditions there is no way to know for sure when the oil could affect Navarre Beach, or for how long.

•·       If you have concerns about reservations, please check with your management company regarding cancellation polices.

•·       Monitor the situation at www.santarosa.fl.gov/oilspill.

•·       Decide if you can take a "wait and see" approach rather than cancel your plans to vacation on Navarre Beach.

 

Volunteers

•·       Trainings for Santa Rosa County volunteers are being coordinated. Times, locations and requirements will be announced as soon as arrangements can be confirmed with BP.

•·       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.

 

NOAA Closes Commercial and Recreational Fishing in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico

•·         NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days on Sunday, May 2, in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay. The closure is effective immediately. 

•·         Details can be found at:  http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ 

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

 

BP Claim Line

•·       BP has established a claim system that will allow people to begin the process to recover lost income or recoup damage related expense at (800)-440-0858.

 

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 (425) 745-8017

 

Alternative Response Technology

•·       To submit alternative response technology, services or products please email horizonsupport@oegllc.com or call (281) 366-5511.

 

Florida Emergency Information Line

The Florida Emergency Information Line is available as 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 related 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

• http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/
• Please 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.