| Bay County responds to reports of tarballs, no confirmations as yet
As of Sunday afternoon, no reports have been confirmed of petroleum product originating from the Deepwater Horizon oil release washing up on Bay County shores, though Bay County hazardous materials teams have responded to suspected tarball sightings. Bay County residents and visitors are asked to continue to survey the beaches and report any suspected petroleum product or odor to authorities by calling the local hotline at 248-6030. Upon receipt of a reported petroleum product or odor, the Bay County Emergency Operations Center will immediately deploy Bay County hazmat personnel to collect and test the item(s), meanwhile the information will also be forwarded to Unified Command and other designated responders. Residents and visitors should not handle any suspicious material, but rather allow properly trained technicians to address the issue.
Residents and visitors may also visit www.baycountyfl.gov for more information about the oil release and to sign up for E-mail notifications concerning Bay County's response to the release. To report materials or odor that may be related to the oil release, or for general information about the oil release, please call 248-6030. |
| Boom returned to Bay County, Workforce Center seeking potential clean-up applicants
Unified Command held a press conference Wednesday at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center, following reports of oil moving farther east. Bay County and the U.S. Coast Guard continue to plan and prepare for any potential effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Release.
Related news:
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Steve Caskey told members of the media Wednesday that most of the boom that had been deployed from Panama City to Louisiana has been returned to the Panama City staging area.
People seeking employment in any potential clean-up efforts should register with the Gulf Coast Workforce Center. For more information about oil spill-related jobs, visit http://www.workforcecenter.org/au_wb_pc.asp.
Unified Command produces an incident action plan (IAP) every 48 hours weekdays on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The IAP contains the newest information regarding the release response in red so that it is easily discernable from more dated information. The IAP is the best way for the general public to keep abreast of all the latest news concerning the oil release. These are posted to the county's Web site for public review as soon as they are prepared and provide the most current information about the oil release.
To view the latest IAP, click here. You may also call the EOC information hotline at (850) 248-6030 for information.
Click here to visit the Bay County Web site.
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BP opens local claims, outreach offices
BP has opened a claims office at 7938 Front Beach Road, located in the shopping plaza adjacent to the Bay Street Deli. Business owners and those who have been affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil release may use this as a resource for recouping their financial losses. BP advises that people filing claims should still call the toll-free number to enter their information into the claims database. That number is (800) 440-0858. BP also has opened a community support office located at 3101 U.S. 98, across the street from Howell Marine and Tackle Supply. At this office, BP can provide information about the oil release and answer community questions. Bay County continues to monitor the release and work with the U.S. Coast Guard in the ongoing effort to prepare for any effects of the oil release that may be realized here. For more information about the release and efforts being made to contain it, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. |
