Bay County received a $3.1 million wire transfer from BP Thursday to fund the construction of the boom project in the St. Andrew Pass. The money will be re-deposited into the county's emergency fund.
 
The transfer fell short of the overall $5.3 million request that includes the cost of removal of the project, though county officials said they would seek additional payment in the future.
 
"The funds for the removal of the project have not yet been expended," Assistant County Manager Bob Majka said. "We will revisit that issue with BP at the appropriate time."
 
In a letter to the Bay County Commission, BP agreed to pay the following:
 
 
Though the company did agree to pay for the project, they noted that they do not believe the structure will be effective protection against oil intrusion and cited failures of a rigid boom project at Perdido Pass.
 
"Despite BP's posturing that the pass project won't work, we maintain that the engineering is sound and that the project will be effective," Majka said. "Prior to construction, Bay County obtained approval from federal, state and local agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Panama City Port Authority, and others. Thus far, the boom has been performing well, and while we hope that we never have to test its efficacy against oil intrusion, we do believe it will help protect our sensitive bay should the oil return."

 

In addition to the pass project claim, Bay County has filed additional claims for reimbursement for expenses incurred as a result of the BP oil release, including the following:

 

 

In other news:

 

-- Bay County Emergency Services continues to eye a tropical disturbance that threatens to move into the Gulf of Mexico. The storm could be a positive thing for Bay County, according to Emergency Services Chief Mark Bowen.

 

"If it maintains the forecast track," he said, "this would actually be good for us."

 

He said it could help to push oil even farther away from Bay County's shores.

 

 

-- The NOAA oil plume model shows the oil plume 65 miles from Pensacola, and 145 miles from Panama City. The NOAA trajectory forecasts scattered tarball fields already nearshore may be carried onshore along the Panhandle coast.

 

-- BP began removing boom throughout the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday in anticipation of impacts from what is now Tropical Storm Bonnie. All Tier 1,2 and 3 boom in Bay County will be removed. Reductions in BP personnel walking the beach in search of oil may come soon, as well as removal of heavy equipment currently staged at the former Miracle Strip Amusement Park.