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Pass project slowed by high seas
High seas in the Gulf caused by Hurricane Alex has slowed progress on a project aimed at protecting Bay County bays. Waves between three and four feet high in the St. Andrew Pass Wednesday damaged a barge holding a crane used for driving piles, forcing crews to halt work until repairs could be made and conditions improved.
"While we were driving piles yesterday, the seas got so rough that a wave came through and bent a spud on one of the barges holding a crane," Bay County Public Works Director Ken Schnell said.
He said the barge spud -- one of three large "legs" below the barge driven into the seafloor to hold the vessel in place -- is being repaired, but bad conditions in the pass today had stymied crews' efforts there.
"We're going to try to get back out there this afternoon, but if the seas are as bad as they have been, we may not be able to. We're doing all that we can," Schnell said.
Thursday was the project's eighth day, and Schnell said that despite the delays, he still believes the 24-day build out is still attainable.
"We're still working toward that July 16 completion date," Schnell said. "We're striving to meet that."
A total of 15 pilings have been placed thus far.
Meanwhile, though, work continues at Port Panama City on fusing the plastic high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe that will be attached to the pilings to act as boom. Schnell said that as of mid-day Thursday, some 500 feet had been fused.
The boom system is comprised of 18 42-inch free-standing steel pilings and eight pile "dolphins" (each consisting of three pilings attached together with a cap on them). The total of 54 pilings vary in length depending on the depth of the water, and extend at least 10 feet above the mean high tide level and about half their entire length is buried below the bay's floor. The boom is made of 30-inch diameter, two-inch thick HDPE pipe and will have a 48-inch long HDPE fabric weighted skirt hanging below the pipe. Some 2,400 feet of boom, along with the 400-foot-wide gates must be fused together, for a total of 2,800 feet of boom.
In the middle of the channel, a 400-foot hinged boom gate will allow for opening or closing the pass and diverting the oil products to the sides, where skimming vessels will be used on either side of the project to collect oil.
The hinged boom in the center of the pass will allow boat traffic to come and go with the outgoing tide and will be closed to traffic with the incoming tide, if oil is actively being removed from the area. The gates will remain open if oil is not a threat to the bay.
The more "robust" booming project evolved after it became apparent that more conventional booming plans to the west are ineffective. Bay County engineers worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, AshBritt -- a Florida-based disaster recovery company, and various engineers to develop and gain federal approval of the plan.
Boaters are asked to exercise caution when traveling through the pass.
BP Vice President Bryant Chapman, at a recent meeting with officials from several Panhandle counties, committed to funding Bay County's pass project, estimated to cost about $2.8 million to construct and another $8,300 per day to manage. The Tier 1, 2 and 3 booming plans will still be exercised.
Crews drive pilings in a project to protect St. Andrew Bay.  |
The Bay County Commission approved a plan to protect the St. Andrew Pass. Click on the photo to download a .pdf of the plan.  |
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Weather updates
From NOAA: Winds are forecast to have an onshore (SE/S/SW) component through Friday at speeds of 12-22 knots. These strong onshore winds will continue to move the northern edge of the slick northwest, threatening the barrier islands of Mississippi/Alabama and the Florida Panhandle west of Freeport, Florida. The Chandeleur Islands, Breton Sound and the Mississippi Delta also continue to be threatened by shoreline contacts. To the west of the Delta, these winds may bring oil ashore between Barataria Bay and Caillou Bay - any remaining floating oil may be moved quickly to the west as a strong westward coastal current develops over the next few days.
From DEP: Moderate east-southeasterly 10-15 knot winds, a 80-90% chance of rain, and 4-7 foot seas as a result of Hurricane Alex will continue to hamper oil recovery efforts across the northern-central gulf today. Weather conditions will begin to improve later tonight and tomorrow with a 50% chance of showers expected Friday. Strong wind and current patterns will push the oil plume towards the northwest over the next few days. Offshore, no significant amounts of oil are within or moving towards Eddy Franklin and there is no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits within the next 5 days.
Alex made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane just south of the Texas/Mexico border
last night, has weakened to a tropical storm, and is expected to weaken further to
tropical depression strength later today as it tracks west across Mexico. Elsewhere,
no tropical activity is expected in the Atlantic Basin within the next 48 hours. |
| Oil located 30 miles off Bay County, few reports of product washing ashore as of Thursday afternoon
Bay County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Brad Monroe told reporters at a daily press briefing Thursday that the oil slick is now located 30 miles off Bay County shores -- farther than Wednesday's reported 20 miles offshore.
State emergency officials reported no tarballs and only an oiled bottle and bottle cap washing ashore on Panama City Beach as of Thursday afternoon. Click here to view the State Emergency Management interactive Web site.
BP crews will be stationed along Bay County beaches this holiday weekend and will be ready to respond should anything wash ashore. Though if lightning is present, crews will wait until the weather clears before cleaning the beaches.
U.S. Coast Guard Commander Mike Frender told reporters that reconnaissance work and BP cleanup efforts continue on the beach, though recent rains have hindered efforts somewhat.
"People may see a suspension of activity; however, we have been to conduct our recon efforts at night," Frender said, adding that both the Coast Guard and BP are adding personnel in an effort to further improve the response.
Frender also asked boaters to be cognizant of the boom in place as they venture out this holiday weekend, particularly during nighttime fireworks shows.
"Any boom near a channel will be lit," he said, "but people should still be mindful of its presence."
In other news:
-- Two decontamination stations inside the bay for recreational vessels are being identified, though they are not built out, according to U.S. Coast Guard Commander Mike Frender. Two decontamination stations are also staged in the gulf, with one located three miles south of the St. Andrews Pass and another seven miles south of the pass. Those stations are for commercial, military, response and recreational vessels that are actively sheening as a result of contact with oil product. Once they are operable, mariners should avoid using the stations inside the bay if possible and should make every attempt to utilize the stations in the Gulf, Frender said. Boaters whose vessels may have been affected by contact with oil may contact the U.S. Coast Guard on their VHF radios at Channel 16 or Channel 71. A new website, created by BP, lists vessel decontamination locations within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector for oiled boats.
-- 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. DEP conducted water and sediment sampling to use as a baseline and is monitoring air quality data. Statewide air quality monitoring is conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Learn more here or here. An online mapping resource that contains up-to-date health advisory information for Florida's beach waters can be viewed here.
-- BP's local claims office is located at 7938 Front Beach Road, in the shopping plaza near 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.
-- Oil spill employment opportunities in this area are available. Visit the state Web site for Gulf Recovery Jobs information. |
| Florida announces improved oiled bird plan
According to the following news release, the state today announced an improved plan for dealing with oiled birds:
"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) together with federal partners today announced the creation of an oiled bird recovery plan for rapid response to distressed birds. The recovery plan aims to ensure that oiled birds are recovered within 60 minutes of their initial report.
Under the plan, a Florida Panhandle Group will be established in Panama City to coordinate the rapid recovery and rescue of injured wildlife on Florida's shores. The Group will consist of three task forces, each covering two to three counties throughout Northwest Florida. The Group is made up of 150 field personnel including biologists, wildlife rehabilitators and Vessels of Opportunity captains. When an oiled bird is reported to the Oiled Wildlife Hotline, the corresponding task force in that region will be notified and the nearest trained wildlife experts will quickly respond.
FWC asks Floridians and visitors to report any sightings of wildlife, oiled or injured as a result the oil spill, to call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline number at (866) 557-1401. The hotline operator will contact the nearest response team and dispatch it to attempt to rescue the animal.
People naturally want to help injured animals. However, untrained rescuers may cause more harm than good. The public should not touch, approach or try to rescue the animal. Handling oiled wildlife may pose a serious health and safety risk to both would-be rescuers and the animal they are trying to rescue. The chemicals in oil are toxic and only trained personnel with appropriate protective gear and equipment should handle and treat oiled animals.
Such rescues require hazardous-material training, permits and animal-handling skills to ensure human safety and the best interests of the animal. The Oiled Wildlife Hotline number is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information, please click here or here."
Bay County residents may also call 248-6030 to report oiled or injured wildlife. |
| Fishery closure holds steady
There is no change to the fisheries closure area today, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The June 28 closure remains in effect.
The closure extends from nine miles south of Cape San Blas. This federal closure does not apply to any state waters. Closing fishing in these areas is a precautionary measure to ensure that seafood from the Gulf will remain safe for consumers, according to NOAA. The closed area now represents 80,228 square miles, which is approximately 33.2 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. Click here for information about how to sign up for text messages concerning NOAA fishery closures and other Deepwater Horizon updates. Click the photo below for more information about the closure.
NOAA further closed fishing in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday evening. |
Click the image above for more information. |
Independence Day events still a 'go'
Fourth of July events planned for this weekend will proceed. Boaters watching the fireworks from the water are asked to be mindful of any boom that is staged and avoid driving over or close to the boom. Click the links below for more information.
-- The city of Lynn Haven will hold its annual Independence Day Parade and fireworks show on Saturday, July 3, along with a host of other events. Click here to view the itinerary.
-- The city of Panama City's celebration will be Sunday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. downtown at the Panama City Marina.
-- Panama City Beach will host two fireworks displays Sunday, one at Grand Lagoon and another at Pier Park.
-- The city of Mexico Beach will host a fireworks show from the City Pier at sunset on Sunday. Click here for more information. |
| Visit Bay County Web site for additional information
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.
Click here to view archived E-mail updates. |
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Bay County will continue to strive to provide residents and visitors with the most current information.
Sincerely,
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Bay County Public Information Officer Valerie Lovett
Bay County Board of County Commissioners |
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