Bay County Deepwater Horizon update

A band of small tarballs washed ashore in Bay County late Friday night, arriving along about a mile-and-a-half stretch of beach at the West End. Bay County Fire Services hazmat workers responded to several calls reporting nickel to half-dollar sized tarballs on the beach. After testing the substance, the firemen determined they matched a sample from the Deepwater Horizon incident. Bay County picked up many of the dozens of tarballs last night, but planned to employ a rake to remove the remainder of the product from the beach at dawn. A rough tide washed many of the tarballs back offshore, and BP contractors were on site Saturday morning removing the remaining pieces.

This photo was taken in front of Carillon Beach Resort in western Panama City Beach around 8 a.m. Saturday morning, after tarballs reported in the area the night before had been removed. The beaches remain open, though tarballs continue to wash ashore in other areas of western PCB.

Nickel to half-dollar sized tarballs began washing ashore in Bay County late Friday.

Mid-day Saturday, a second smattering of tarballs began washing ashore in western Bay County. As of 5 p.m., they were reported to have been seen as far east as Lantana Street. Some of the pieces were as large as a soda can. BP contractors worked to remove the material from the beach. Bay County beaches remain open.

An oiled Pied-billed Grebe was also found on west Panama City Beach Saturday morning. The bird was turned over to Tri-State Bird Rescue, where it is being triaged in Bay County and will be transferred to the bird rescue facility in Pensacola, according to Bay County Animal Control Director Jim Crosby.

A Pied-Billed Grebe was found on the West End of Panama City Beach Saturday morning. The bird was turned over to Tri-State Bird Rescue for triage in Panama City then transport to the bird rescue facility in Pensacola.

Bay County Chief of Emergency Services Chief Mark Bowen said Saturday that U.S. Coast Guard officials reported that skimming vessels were working to clean up an area of oil sheen containing large clumps of oil product. The sheen is located approximately 5 miles offshore, south of Lake Powell, and is approximately one mile wide by two miles long.

Bowen encouraged the public to report suspected oil sightings on Bay County shores or in the Gulf to Bay County's hotline at (850) 248-6030, rather than calling 9-1-1.

"The 9-1-1 system is for life-and-death emergencies," Bowen said. "While the oil is an emegency as well, we don't want to tie up our 9-1-1 operators if we don't have to. We can better respond to the situation if people call the hotline."

Bay County contracted Thursday with AshBritt, a Florida-based disaster-response company for 23 additional bay skimmers expected to arrive Monday. Bowen said Bay County is also proceeding with plans to further fortify the St. Andrew Bay Pass from oil intrusion.

As BP contractors and AshBritt employees continue to stage boom throughout Bay County waterways, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Mike Frender encouraged boaters to avoid running over boom with their vessels.

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The state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Health continue to conduct water and air quality sampling. To learn more about the sampling and for health advisories concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil release, click here.

To report oil on the beach, a suspicious odor, oiled wildlife or for information about the oil release, please call (850) 248-6030.