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Bay County requests boom re-deployment
Bay County Emergency Services Chief Mark Bowen has requested that BP wet stage the Tier 1 and 2 boom that was removed in anticipation of effects from Tropical Storm Bonnie. He also asked that the Tier 3 boom be warehoused in Bay County.
According to BP spokeswoman Vani Rao, all the boom will be warehoused in Bay County, though the boom plans are "still being finalized."
She said all the equipment previously located at the former site of the Miracle Strip Amusement Park will be re-staged, and the staging area at the Panama City Marina will resume its staffing level to approximately 75 percent of the level it was at prior to Bonnie.
She said some 300 "beach walkers" are still working Panama City Beach in search of tarballs and trash, though nighttime operations have ceased.
In other news:
-- Bay County Public Information Office updates will be scaled back to an as-needed basis. For more information about the oil spill, please visit www.baycountyfl.gov or call Public Information Officer Valerie Lovett at (850) 248-8170.
-- The NOAA trajectory shows the oil plume 120 miles from Pensacola, and 200 miles from Panama City. While NOAA oil trajectories forecast oil patches to remain well south and west of Florida, with no direct oil impacts through at least Wednesday, scattered tarball fields already nearshore may continue to be carried onshore along the Panhandle coast.
-- Bridge loans for oil-spill affected businesses are now available in Bay County through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in partnership with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance (EDA). Eligibility requirements, documentation, applications and instructions can be found here. For more information, please call the SBDC at (850) 271-1108.
-- Please do not touch oiled wildlife. Call (866) 557-1401 and allow authorities to rescue the injured animal. Bay County residents may also call 248-6030 to report oiled or injured wildlife.
-- Often reports of oil are found to be naturally occurring substances such as seagrass and algae. Click here to read a press release about discerning oil from naturally occurring substances.
-- Report suspected oil sightings to the local hotline at (850) 248-6030, or call (866) 448-5816. Dial #DEP from a cell phone to report oil.
-- 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. BP advises that people filing claims should still call the toll-free number to enter their information into the claims database at (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. |
Weather updates
From NOAA:
Today: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. South wind around 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 78. South wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest between 10 and 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 79. West southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph.
From DEP: Moderate south-southeasterly winds of 10-15 knots will persist through today and tomorrow, though a few eastern Panhandle areas may see southwest winds on Tuesday. Waves will also be out of the south through Tuesday, with seas between 1 and 3 feet. For Wednesday and Thursday, high pressure over the Lower Mississippi Valley may result in winds coming out of the northwest for much of the day. Rain chances along the northern Gulf coast will be 50-60 percent today, decreasing to around 30-50 percent on Tuesday, and decreasing further to around 20 percent on Wednesday. Heat indices will be near 100 degrees along the shoreline today and tomorrow. |
Pass project boom to remain in place
The rigid boom located in the St. Andrew Bay Pass will remain in place, for now, according to Bay County Emergency Services Chief Mark Bowen.
Bowen said it may be staged elsewhere at a later time. Tests aimed at determining whether the gates in the center of the channel can be safely opened on an incoming tide will be conducted at a later time. The testing would require a temporary closure of the pass and must be coordinated among several entities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Port Panama City, the U.S. Navy and others.
Bay County received a $3.1 million payment toward the project's construction last week. Additional BP funding for the project's eventual removal will be sought.
The pass project is comprised of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) boom pipe attached to steel pilings on either side of the pass and a 400-foot HDPE boom pipe gate in the center of the waterway.
Boaters are warned to exercise extreme caution through the now narrower pass. Boaters are also asked to adhere to a 20-meter, or 65-feet, "safety zone" on either side of the boom, as currents there are very strong.
The boom system is comprised of 18 42-inch free-standing steel pilings and another eight pile "dolphins" (each consisting of three pilings attached together with a cap on them) were driven in the center of the pass. 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.
The St. Andrew Pass protection plan is completed.  |
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No change in fishery closure
The July 22 fishery closure remains in place, after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a reduction in the area of federal waters previously closed to fishing. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the remaining closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed. The closed area now measures 57,539 sq mi (149,026 sq km) and covers about 24 percent of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone. Before the southern area was re-opened, 83,927 miles (217,371 sq km), or roughly 35 percent of federal waters of the Gulf, were closed to fishing. NOAA will continue to evaluate the need for fisheries closures based on the evolving nature of the spill and will re-open closed areas as appropriate. Click here to learn more.
To sign up for text messages about closures, click here.
NOAA opened a portion of the area previously closed to fishing on Thursday.  |
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| 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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