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Okaloosa County News Release - Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill #23
What's New: Okaloosa County Beaches Open- Tropical Storm Alex is expected to make a westward landfall in Texas. We will receive increased waves, rain and winds now through Thursday, July 2.
- Oil impacts continue on our beaches with intermittent tar balls, and can change daily depending on wind, currents and tides.
- Beware of a fraudulent company in the Okaloosa County area charging unsuspecting beach clean-up workers for training. BP does not charge for this training.
- Daily reconnaissance vessels continually check for oil in near shore and off shore Gulf waters in an effort to keep oil off the beach; however, as we have seen there will be times and areas of impact.
- Resident and visitors are encouraged to discuss current conditions, oil impacts and health concerns with their lifeguard. If in an area without a lifeguard, use common sense to avoid tar balls, and for health information, click here: http://www.healthyokaloosa.com/Deepwater_Horizon/
- Air Quality is Good & Drinking water is Safe.
- Reminder: Ideas & Suggestions call 850-270-SAND (7263) or email okaloosaoilresponse@gmail.com.
Oil or Tar ball sightings: DO NOT TOUCH - Tell a lifeguard; Local phone: Call 311, select 0; From most cell
phones, dial #DEP - Call the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335)
- Oiled Wildlife: 850-650-1880
Destin East Pass: OPEN UNTIL OIL APPROACHES Labels: oil spill cleanup, okaloosa county
Marco Rubio to visit Northwest Florida - You are invited
From Representative Matt Gaetz Florida House of Representatives District 4 Dear Friends, The oil spill has dominated our concerns and our actions increasingly in the last few weeks. Frustrations are mounting because nobody seems to be in charge. Local government blames the state. State officials (myself included) blame the federal government. The Federal government blames BP. In the end, little is done to bring authority and resources to those who have the ability and the gumption to act. We are all at fault. We all should be doing more. The only effective strategy to minimize the damage is to have officials at every level of government willing to work together to get results. In the next 6 months, and in the next 6 years, we will need innovative solutions to clean our beaches, rebuild our economy and get back to our idyllic way of life. Fmr. Florida House Speaker and current U.S. Senate Candidate Marco Rubio will be in Northwest Florida this Thursday, July 1, to hear from us. Speaker Rubio's visit is not a photo-op. Lately our community has been fatigued by photo-ops and light on meaningful solutions. Speaker Rubio will be participating in a series of town hall forums and roundtables to get at the core of how the federal government should be responding. Many of your suggestions regarding foreign skimmers, repealing the Jones Act and simplifying the claims process will be very helpful. Please attend either of the town hall forums below to share your views. Walton County Town Hall with Matt Gaetz and Marco Rubio Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm
Location: Edgewater Beach Condominium - Riviera Room
Address: 291 Scenic Highway 98, Miramar Beach
Special Guests: Walton Sheriff Mike Adkinson, State Rep. Marti Coley Santa Rosa Town Hall with Matt Gaetz and Marco Rubio Time: 3:15 - 4:30
Location: Navarre Visitors Center
Address: 8543 Navarre Parkway, Navarre
Special Guests: Santa Rosa Property Appraiser Greg Brown, Santa Rosa Commissioner Lane Lynchard
Representative Matt Gaetz
PO Box 88
Fort Walton Beach FL, 32549
Labels: marco rubio, oil spill cleanup, santa rosa county, walton county
Representative Matt Gaetz Constituent Advisory June 28 Oil Cleanup Update
Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County beaches remain open, including the waters for fishing. According to the NOAA oil plume model, the oil plume is 57 miles from Mexico Beach, and 244 miles from St. Petersburg. Wind and currents will prevent a further eastward movement of the oil plume along the northwestern Florida coastline. Areas already impacted, west of Choctawhatchee Bay, will continue to receive impacts as the oil plume moves slightly northwest and closer to the shoreline. No significant amounts of oil are within or moving toward the loop current ring and there is no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits within the next five days. The majority of impacts to Florida's shoreline will likely be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse - a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color. Tropical Storm Alex has been downgraded to a tropical depression. The system is approximately 673 miles southwest of Key West, or approximately 720 miles south-southeast of the Deepwater Horizon well head site. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph. A general west-northwest track across the Yucatan hunter aircraft is investigating the system again this afternoon. It is expected to reach tropical storm strength tonight. Citizens are asked not to engage in direct contact with oil and oil contaminated products such as tar balls, tar patties, tar mats, and oil sheen. Only qualified members should handle oil products and oil contaminated materials. To report tar or oil on the beach, call the Florida State Warning Point Line at 1-877-272-8335 or # DEP from a cell phone. Skimmers have been deployed in our area and are actively skimming 24-hours a day as weather permits. Dispersants in Florida waters have been approved. Skimming and recreational vessel decontamination facilities are being
established across the panhandle. The current list of vessel decontamination
locations within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector for oiled boats is
available at http://bpdecon.com/. BP Claims - BP Claims for Deepwater Horizon can now be submitted at http://www.bp.com/claims.
- BP claims in Florida total 21,288 with approximately $18,241,105.61 paid.
Small Business Disaster & Bridge Loans Governor Crist announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved disaster loan funds for businesses along Florida's Gulf coast that have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. More information can be found at:
http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/SERV_DISASTERASSISTANCEGOV.ht
ml Loan Applications - Issued: 450
- Accepted: 115
- Declined: 24
- Approved: 13
- Loan amount approved: $778,900.00
Boom Placement - Oil containment boom (in feet) total in Florida: 607, 261
- Approximately 380,900 feet of boom has been placed in Northwest Florida along the most sensitive areas and 225,700 feet has been staged.
- The Unified Command Operations Group is asking boaters to avoid damaging boom. Boom cut or broken due to boater traffic jeopardizes coastal protection.
- Stolen or misplaced boom should be reported to local authorities.
Vessels of Opportunity (boats) program - BP is looking to contract shrimp boats, oyster boats and other vessels for hire through the Vessel of Opportunities Program to deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information (866) 279-7983 or (877) 847-7470.
- 385 vessels have been deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program.
Fishing - All Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County waters are currently open to fishing. Oil has not affected most of Florida waters and there are vast amounts open for fishing and other recreational activities and the FWC encourages everyone to fish where the waters are clear and to enjoy freshly harvested seafood products in these areas. Updated information regarding fishing advisories or harvest closures in Florida due to the BP oil spill will be posted online at http://myfwc.com/OilSpill/index.htm.
- The FWC is taking precautionary actions and has issued a partial harvesting closure of saltwater fish and marine vertebrates. This closure covers state waters from the Alabama state line east to the Pensacola Beach tower (approximately 23 miles east and out nine miles from the coastline. Interior bays and estuaries remain open to fishing. The closure does not affect oysters, clams and scallops. Catch and release is still allowed. For more information visit http://myfwc.com/OilSpill/index.htm.
Important Phone Numbers - Florida Oil Spill Information Line- 1-888- 337-3569
- Fraud Hotline - 1-866-966-7226.
- Submit Alternative Response Technology Services & Products- email horizonsupport@oegllc.com or call 1-281-366-5511
- Report Oiled Wildlife- 1-866-557-1401
- Report Oil Sightings- 1-866-448-5816
- BP Toll-Free Claims line- 1800-440-0858
- Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gauging hotline: 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).
Respectfully, Matt Representative Matt Gaetz
PO Box 88
Fort Walton Beach FL, 32549 Labels: oil spill cleanup, okaloosa county, santa rosa
Okaloosa County News Release Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill #22
What's New: Okaloosa County Beaches Open- Oil impacts on our beaches are intermittent tar balls, and can change daily depending on wind, currents and tides. Winds and currents are in our favor for the weekend.
- Daily reconnaissance vessels continually check for oil in near shore and off shore Gulf waters in an effort to keep oil off the beach; however, as we have seen there will be times and areas of impact.
- Resident and visitors are encouraged to discuss current conditions, oil impacts and health concerns with their lifeguard. If in an area without a lifeguard, use common sense to avoid tar balls, and for health information, click here: http://www.healthyokaloosa.com/Deepwater_Horizon/
- Destin Beaches are in the process of being cleaned up from tar balls received on Wednesday. Destin East Pass protection methods are still being tested and evaluated. Pass is open.
- Okaloosa Island has not been impacted recently.
- Air Quality is Good & Drinking water is Safe.
- Reminder: Ideas & Suggestions call 850-270-SAND (7263) or email okaloosaoilresponse@gmail.com.
Oil or Tar ball sightings: DO NOT TOUCH - Tell a lifeguard; Local phone: Call 311, select 0; From most cell phones, dial #DEP
- Call the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335)
- Oiled Wildlife: 850-650-1880
Destin East Pass: OPEN UNTIL OIL APPROACHES Labels: Florida Deepwater Horizon Response, okaloosa county
Okaloosa County News Release Deep Horizon Oil Spill Update #21
What's New: Okaloosa County Beaches Open- Destin Beaches did get tar balls between last night and today, in which are in the process of being cleaned up.
- The Health Dept. has issued a swimming advisory (caution) in these areas: From Walton County line (east) moving west to Palm St. (Pelican Beach Resort) in Destin.
- Barge tested in Destin East Pass currents today and remaining barges will be positioned upon results of testing and evaluation.
- Air Quality is Good & Drinking water is Safe.
- Reminder: Ideas & Suggestions call 850-270-SAND (7263) or email okaloosaoilresponse@gmail.com.
Oil or Tar ball sightings: DO NOT TOUCH - Tell a lifeguard
- Local phone: Call 311, select 0.
- Call the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335)
- From most cell phones, dial #DEP
- Oiled Wildlife: 850-650-1880
- What to expect: Highly weathered oil, tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse -oil/water mixture brown, rust or orange in color.
Destin East Pass: OPEN UNTIL OIL APPROACHES - Mariners should tune into Channel 16 to get updates on Destin East Pass
- Skimmers, Ships, Task force on the water to react & Vessels of Opportunity are working.
- Water quality checks daily; Weather, wind & currents monitored daily.
- Fishing advisory in State waters; prohibited in Federal waters.
- Boaters, please use caution/minimum wake around boomed areas.
Other layers protection/plans:
- Approved/permitted: Air Curtain (on order);
- Barges to block the pass on incoming tides and move them on the outgoing tide.
- Sand Berms for beach areas waiting on permits; Booming - complete.
- Slip Curtain & Foam Filled pipe (requested; waiting to see if work to the west)
Labels: Florida Deepwater Horizon Response
Town Hall Meeting 6/25/10: Guest Speakers: Riki Ott & Lisa Craig Gautier
Town Hall MeetingLocation: Four Points by Sheraton Address: 1325 Miracle Strip Pkwy, Hwy 98 East, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Phone: (850)243-8116 Riki Ott, PhD, Marine Toxicologist Riki is a former commercial "fisherm'am" and has a degree in Marine Toxicology with a specialty in Oil Pollution. She experienced firsthand the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill & still lives in Alaska today. She is the author of two books & the founder of 3 nonprofit organizations. Riki has recently made appearances on MSNBC, Kieth Olbermann, & Rachel Maddow. She will be answering questions after her talk. Lisa Craig Gautier, President of Matter-of-Trust Lisa & her husband started Matter of Trust in 1998. Matter of Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to link ideas, spark action & materialize sustainable systems. Lisa & Matter of Trust have created quite a "buzz" with the hair mats/boom project for oil spills. ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo News, National Geographic, The New York Times and the LA Times have all done stories on the project. Go to matteroftrust.org for more information. Local Officials will also be speaking & addressing concerns. Please come out & feel free to ask questions. This event is sponsored by the Greater Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce Labels: Florida Deepwater Horizon Response, town hall meeting
Okaloosa County Drinking Water is Unaffected by Deep Horizon Oil Spill
Okaloosa County News Release Okaloosa County Water comes from a limestone aquifer and in no way is
connected with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Residents can rest assured
that water meets state and federal requirements. The Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department encourages residents to go
paperless, and now take payments in person, by phone and on line at
http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/wsweb/index.html. The 24-hour phone and on
line payment service can be accessed by calling 850-651-7171. Labels: Okaloosa drinking water quality
FREE Concert – Doobie Bros & Kenny Loggins Live on the Beach at the Boardwalk
Immediate Release: Tisha Maraj, Sales & Marketing Manager Emerald Coast Conference Center 850-609-3914 tmaraj@co.okaloosa.fl.us Rock The Beach is a free concert sponsored by The Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau featuring The Doobie Brothers and Kenny Loggins live on Sunday, June 27th at 5:00PM. We invite you to come to the beach behind the Boardwalk on beautiful Okaloosa Island to Rock the Beach and celebrate our beautiful Emerald Coast. The concert is free for everyone! There will be refreshments and beverages available, no coolers allowed. Free parking is available at the Boardwalk, the Emerald Coast Conference Center, Beasley Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore and Marler Park. Donations will be accepted in support of the losses suffered by locals because of the oil spill. The Doobie Brothers are one of the very few American musical groups that have been able to achieve a phenomenal level of success and sustain it for a period of time measured in decades; it is a success that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Combined with their consistent appeal on the road, The Doobies have earned a fanatical loyalty for their high-energy shows, and are truly one of America's most loved rock and roll bands. During nearly four decades as a professional singer-songwriter, Kenny Loggins has established himself as many things to countless music lovers. For the first half of the Seventies, Loggins was, along with Jim Messina, part of the popular and influential duo Loggins & Messina that formed in the wake of the classic 1971 album Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In. Loggins grew even more popular for recording a series of soundtrack pop smashes including such Top Ten hits as “I’m Alright” from Caddyshack, “Footloose” from Footloose, “Danger Zone” from Top Gun and “Nobody’s Fool” from Caddyshack II. For more information, please dial 850-609-3800. Labels: beach benefit, doobie brothers, ECCVB, free concert, rock the beach
Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill #19 - No oil impacts on Monday, June 21
Oil or Tar ball sightings: DO NOT TOUCH - Tell a lifeguard
- Local phone: Call 311, select 0.
- Call the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335)
- From most cell phones, dial #DEP
- Oiled Wildlife: 850-650-1880
- What to expect: Highly weathered oil, tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse -oil/water mixture brown, rust or orange in color.
What is happening now? - Skimmers, Ships, Task force on the water to react
- Vessels of Opportunity working.
- Water quality checks daily.
- Weather, wind & currents monitored daily.
- Fishing advisory in State waters; prohibited in Federal waters.
- Boaters, please use caution/minimum wake around boomed areas.
Destin East Pass: - Mariners should tune into Channel 16 to get updates on Destin East Pass
- Barges are being positioned TODAY, MONDAY; Boom curtains will protect the Pass, capture oil and be used to close Pass during incoming tides.
- June 22 High Tide prediction is 7:22 AM by NOAA.
- Call 311 for Pass information - Destin Pass will be closed during incoming tides each night. Vessels wanting to leave the Pass, call 689-5757.
Other layers protection/plans: - Approved/permitted: Air Curtain (on order); Barges to block the pass on incoming tides and move them on the outgoing tide. Booming - complete.
- Sand Berms for beach areas waiting on permits
- Slip Curtain & Foam Filled pipe (requested; waiting to see if work to the west)
Ideas & Suggestions: Phone Numbers, Addresses and Web Sites: - Okaloosa Co.: 311, 8 for recording or 0 for operator and 850-423-4894 out of area. Twitter: OKALOOSAEOC and ideas/questions: 850-270-SAND (7263); Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge: 850-837-1880
- Access Florida (food stamps, cash, Medicaid), call 1-888-444-4358 or visit www.myflorida.com/access/CPSlookup
- BP Claims office: 348 Miracle Strip Parkway, Suite 13, in Fort Walton Beach. Hours are 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., daily; 1-800-440-0858; www.myfloridacfo.com
- The Small Business Administration (SBA): Destin Community Center Annex (Senior Center), 108 Stahlman Avenue, Destin, FL, 32541; 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/
BP/State Assistance: ### Labels: Florida Deepwater Horizon Response
June 15 Gulf Oil Spill Update from Matt Gaetz
Situation Update » Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County beaches remain open, including the waters for fishing. » NOAA projections, additional impacts are expected throughout northwest Florida within the next 72 hours due to onshore winds. » Relatively weak winds (below 10 knots), low seas (below 3 feet) and low rain chances are expected to continue through the next three days, which will be favorable for surface oil recovery operations. However, winds are expected to continue out of the south-southwest for the next three days, pushing portions of the oil plume towards the western Florida Panhandle. A tropical wave in the central Atlantic has a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. » Potential impacts to Florida's shoreline will be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse – a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color. » Citizens are asked not to engage in direct contact with oil and oil contaminated products such as tar balls, tar patties, tar mats, and oil sheen. Only qualified members should handle oil products and oil contaminated materials. To report tar or oil on the beach, call the Florida State Warning Point Line at 1-877-272-8335 or # DEP from a cell phone. » The State of Florida is taking additional proactive measures to ensure the quick and timely discovery of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Reconnaissance missions are being coordinated daily from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee using air, land, and sea assets from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Civil Air Patrol, and the Florida National Guard. · These reconnaissance missions that started last week are being conducted from Perdido Key in Escambia County to Cape San Blas in Gulf County. Search areas are divided into approximately five-mile increments, with all terrain vehicles (ATVs) patrolling the coastline looking for any evidence of land-falling oil products. Boats are patrolling the gulf waters in these areas looking for evidence of oil sheen or other oil byproducts, and air assets are evaluating waters out to nine miles from shore daily and further when directed. When evidence of oil is detected, the reconnaissance teams quickly report their findings back to the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. Then teams hired by the responsible party, BP, can be dispatched to the impacted areas through Unified Command in Mobile, Alabama, to perform cleanup, skimming or other mitigation measures in a timely fashion. » BP will issue an additional $25 million to Florida for the state's preparedness and response efforts. » Two plans created by the United States Coast Guard, BP and the impacted states, including Florida, outline the steps for shoreline assessment and cleanup to ensure quick and efficient response to oil on our shores. Those plans include The Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team Plan and the Mobile Sector Near Shore and Shoreline Stage I and II Response Plan. · The SCAT Plan outlines the role of SCAT teams and provides a process for collecting shoreline oil data used to create cleanup plans. SCAT teams consist of trained representatives from BP, the federal government and the state. The response plan addresses response in three stages: recovering oil in the water, placing boom and other protective measures along the most sensitive areas of Florida's coastline, and cleaning up any oil that does impact Florida's shores as quickly as possible, both while the oil discharge continues from Deepwater Horizon and after the leak is stopped. · The first stage of response involves oil removal from near shore waters using skimming devices, vacuum systems, booming and other appropriate methods. These removal methods are currently being used to prevent oil from reaching Florida's shoreline. Approximately 261,250 feet of boom has been placed in Florida along the most sensitive areas of the Panhandle, and several counties in the western tip of the Panhandle are moving forward with supplemental booming plans. · The second stage of the response plan outlines the cleanup methods for a variety of habitats, including beaches, marshes, and man-made structures such as docks and pilings. Boom will likely not prevent tar balls, tar mats and very sticky weathered oil from washing onshore. Therefore, the most feasible cleanup method in this stage is manual removal of oil with hand tools or mechanical equipment used by authorized and trained individuals. The third stage is intended to finalize shoreline cleanup in habitats that may be adversely affected by oil after the leak is stopped. » According to the state EOC, Perdido Pass and Pensacola Pass will be closed with the tide to prevent oil from entering inland waters. Boom will be deployed across each Pass at flood tide (water coming in) and removed at ebb tide (water going out). ▪ Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds. ▪ Based on oil activity recently, the United States Coast Guard's Captain of the Port for Sector Mobile authorized the official closure of Perdido Pass and Pensacola Pass. These waterways will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic. Perdido Pass and Pensacola Pass will be open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions. ▪ Boat traffic needing access in or out of boom locations, should call 1-850-736-2261. ▪ A flashing light has been attached to all booms to increase visibility to boaters. » NOAA has launched a new federal website detailed near-real-time information about the response to the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill. The website incorporates data from the various agencies that are working together to tackle the spill. Originally designed for responders who make operational decisions to the oil spill, the website integrates the latest data on the oil spill's trajectory, fishery closed areas, wildlife and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and daily position of research ships — into one customizable interactive map which is located at http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/ » Skimmers have been deployed in our area and are actively skimming 24-hours a day as weather permits. » There is no planned use of dispersants in Florida waters. BP Claims » BP Claims for Deepwater Horizon can now be submitted at www.bp.com/claims » BP announced it will be sending a second advance payment during June to individuals and businesses along the Gulf Coast to compensate for the loss of income or net profit due to the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico. » BP claims in Florida: 12,633 claims/ approximately $8,489,727.47 paid Small Business Disaster & Bridge Loans » On June 7, Governor Charlie Crist activated Florida's Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which will provide emergency, short-term loans to established small businesses in the designated counties. · Short-term loans of up to $25,000 will be available to owners of small businesses (less than 100 employees) in counties impacted the recent oil spill. The interest-free loans come in terms of 12 month maturities. To be eligible, a business owner must have been operational for one full year prior to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on April 20, 2010, and demonstrate physical damage or economic injury as a result of the oil spill. · Applications for businesses will be available Monday, June 14, 2010. To receive an application or more information on the program, please contact the Governor's Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development at (850) 487-2568, or the Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (http://www.ffcfc.com at (850) 681-3601. » Governor Crist announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved disaster loan funds for businesses along Florida's Gulf coast that have been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident. · SBA representatives opened a disaster loan office on Tuesday, May 18 at the Navarre Visitor Information Center located at 8543 Navarre Parkway (U.S. Hwy 98) in Navarre. Hours of operations will be 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday- Saturday until further notice. · More information can be found at: www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance * Loan Applications * Issued: 308
* Accepted: 60
* Declined: 14
* Approved: 2
* Loan amount approved: $255,000.00 Boom Placement » Oil containment boom (in feet) total in Florida: 363, 340 » The Unified Command Operations Group is asking boaters to avoid damaging boom. Boom cut or broken due to boater traffic jeopardizes coastal protection. » Stolen or misplaced boom should be reported to local authorities. Vessels of Opportunity (boats) program » BP is looking to contract shrimp boats, oyster boats and other vessels for hire through the Vessel of Opportunities Program to deploy boom in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information 907-301-8878. » 365 vessels have been deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program. » Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system: (281) 366-5511 Fishing » All Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County waters are currently open to fishing. Oil has not affected most of Florida waters and there are vast amounts open for fishing and other recreational activities and the FWC encourages everyone to fish where the waters are clear and to enjoy freshly harvested seafood products in these areas. Updated information regarding fishing advisories or harvest closures in Florida due to the BP oil spill will be posted online at http://myfwc.com/OilSpill/index.htm. Important Phone Numbers » Florida Oil Spill Information Line- 1-888- 337-3569 » Fraud Hotline - 1-866-966-7226. » Submit Alternative Response Technology Services & Products- email horizonsupport@oegllc.com or call 1-281-366-5511 » Report Oiled Wildlife- 1-866-557-1401 » Report Oil Sightings- 1-866-448-5816 » BP Toll-Free Claims line- 1800-440-0858 » Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gauging hotline: 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352). I will continue to keep you informed as information becomes available. All the best,
Matt Political advertisement paid for and approved by Matt Gaetz, Republican, for State Representative District 4. 2010 All Rights Reserved Representative Matt Gaetz
PO Box 88
Fort Walton Beach FL, 32549 Labels: Florida Deepwater Horizon Response
Okaloosa County Local Action Plan and Area Contingency Plan
County Commissioners Join the Destin City Council Meeting to Discuss Emergency Oil Response for Destin East Pass Tonight (Monday) 5 PM
The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners will join the Destin City Council Meeting on Monday, June 14, at 5 PM to discuss oil response for Destin East Pass. Discussion will include barrier options in response to potential impact to our waterways. The meeting will be held in the Destin City Council Annex at 4100 Indian Bayou Trail. Citizens are encouraged to attend. For more information, call 850-651-7515. Labels: Destin East pass, Florida Deepwater Horizon Response
Okaloosa Co. Advocating More Protection for Destin East Pass
Okaloosa County News Release - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill #14 Okaloosa Co. Advocating More Protection for Destin East Pass Call 850-270-SAND (7263) with Oil Spill Response Ideas Okaloosa County is advocating and requesting more substantial protection for Destin East Pass be reviewed by British Petroleum (BP), United States Coast Guard and Unified Command in Mobile. Ideas in which they would like reviewed include: - Closing Pass
- Placement of Barges in Pass
- Utilizing an Air Curtain that would force oil to the surface to then be captured
"It is not acceptable to wait for the oil to reach the beach and then clean it up," stated Commission Chairman Wayne Harris. "Additionally, it is imperative we protect the Destin East Pass in order to protect our bays, bayous and inland waterways." Okaloosa County, with the assistance of Coastal Engineering, has launched a phone number for individuals to call if they have ideas for clean up, protecting our shores or anything relating to the Deep Horizon Oil Spill. The phone line will have an automated message and ask callers to leave a name, phone number and information; however, the phone will be manned and answered Sunday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. An email address is also available: okaloosaoilresponse@gmail.com. The majority of impacts to Florida's shoreline will likely be highly weathered, in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats or mousse - a pudding-like oil/water mixture that could be brown, rust or orange in color. Okaloosa County continues to place booms in the east pass. Pilings were driven into the pass yesterday to allow a more sustainable anchoring system to keep boom in place. Labels: okaloosa county news release
Green Taskforce Recycling at Billy Bowlegs
The Greater Ft Walton Beach Green Taskforce recycled at the 55th Billy Bowlegs event. Despite the weather, the Taskforce collected over 350lbs of aluminum cans and with the help of the City of Ft Walton Beach’s mobile recycling trailer, was able to collect remaining single stream recyclable items. The money raised from the Aluminum cans will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. The Green Awareness Taskforce collected recyclable items from metal recycling bins that were placed around the Ft Walton Beach Landing and from volunteers who collected bags from boaters. A few ROW (Recycling on the Water) members initiated recycling efforts at Crab Island on Sunday for a few hours. This effort would not be possible without the help from Mike Wright and his volunteers from Emerald Coast McDonalds, Charles DuPlantis & Ray Watson from Boogies Water Sports, Allen Lassiter from the City of Ft Walton Beach, Jim Reece Okaloosa County Recycling Office, James Payne Chamber Special Events Committee Member, Green Taskforce Members - Nick Chubb (ROW), Char Gibicsar (ROW), Ann White, Charles Le Vessure, Choctaw ROTC members, Lydia Johnson and Chris Eilertsen. Visit our web-site: www.gogreenokaloosa.com to see pictures from the event. While you are on the web-site, take the Green Awareness Pledge. You are welcome to attend our monthly Green Awareness Taskforce meetings the 1st Tuesday of each month at 815am at the Ft Walton Beach Chamber Conference Room. June’s speaker was Sheila Dunning University of Florida/IFAS Okaloosa County Commercial Horticulture. Her presentation will be on the web-site. We want to thank chamber members and the community for their support with our efforts to engage in green awareness. Chamber members are reminded to bring a reusable drinking cup to the monthly breakfast. Mark your calendars that the Green Awareness Taskforce will be celebrating America/Florida Recycles day on November 20th this year. Times and location(s) will be given at a later time. This will give the community another chance to purchase at reduced cost rain barrels and backyard composters. The Taskforce will be recycling for the 3rd year at the 4th of July Celebration at the Ft Walton Beach Landing. Tammy McDaniel 2010 Green Awareness Taskforce Chair whatfootprintwillyouleave@gmail.comLabels: billy bowlegs, fort walton beach recycling
Okaloosa County News Release Saturday, June 05, 2010 10:57 AM
Small Tar Balls Spotted on Western Portion of Okaloosa Island NO WAKE ZONE in Destin East Pass Will Be Enforced to Protect Boom Small tar balls have been cleaned up on western area of Okaloosa Island. If anyone feels they have spotted additional tar balls, they are asked to call 311 and select 0 or report any sightings to a lifeguard. Okaloosa expects impact in the form of tar balls and or sheen which is a thin, light coating of oil on the surface of the water. Destin East Pass is a NO WAKE ZONE due to the protective boom placement and will be enforced in order to protect the boom. Boaters are asked to partner with us in protecting boom and our waterways by using caution around the boom areas. In Louisiana, a cap has been placed over the remaining pipe to capture the oil. There is now concern that the eddy which separated from the loop current will rejoin the current and transport oil around the tip of Florida and up the east coast. Okaloosa Island beaches will continue to be checked by Jackson Guard and Okaloosa Beach Safety daily; however, to report an oil sighting, please dial 311, and select 0 so information can be verified and reported to BP. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provide a predicted trajectory of the oil daily on their web site at http://response.restoration.noaa.gov. Local seafood remains safe. Labels: okaloosa county news release
BP Vessels of Opportunity
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