Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key Update
Wednesday, June 30 – 10:00 a.m. – Update #27
Everyone is advised to avoid contact with tar balls or oiled debris on the beaches.
*Weather – Temperatures are expected to be near 81 degrees with winds from the east southeast. Chance of rain is 90 percent. Thundershowers are impacting cleanup efforts both on the beaches and in the water. For safety reasons, if lightning is in the area, crews will be unable to continue working.
* Tropical Update – Hurricane Alex is expected to make landfall in northern Mexico as a category 2 storm. Higher tides and heavier surf conditions may be experienced as result of the storm. Booms remain deployed and may need to be repositioned if conditions warrant.
* Perdido and Pensacola Passes – No oil reported in the passes from early morning reports. A sheen is visible near Big Lagoon. Three large skimmer vessels and several smaller vessels were present in Perdido Pass.
* Update on the six square mile patch of dark red tar mats spotted yesterday just south of the Pensacola Pass – Vessels were booming off the area and awaiting a vacuum vessel to collect the tar mats.
* Incident Command reported 166,926 pounds of tar ball and oil material was collected by 526 people on Tuesday.
o Perdido Key Access #1 – 30,600 pounds collected by 45 people
o Perdido Key Access #2 – 9,775 pounds collected by 45 people
o East Pensacola Pier – 8,500 pounds collected by 130 people
o West Pensacola Pier – 23,851 pounds collected by 138 people
o West Pensacola Pier #2 – 94,200 pounds collected by 168 people
o Machinery – Pensacola Pier moving east 17 people covering 4 miles removed 25 cubic yards.
* Incident Command reported 17 skimmers in the inland waterways in Escambia County.
* The Escambia County Health Department has issued a health advisory from the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier west to the Pensacola Pass, including Fort Pickens. This is not a ban. If you choose to swim, do so at your own risk. This advisory was issued due to the extensive oil sheen, oil mousse and tar balls reported in the area. (More Information)
* The Escambia County Health Department has release information on avoiding oil and tar on the beaches. (More Information).
* NOAA expands fishing closed area in the Gulf of Mexico. (More Information)
* Please do not handle or walk through the tar balls and oil. This only spreads the product and makes cleanup more difficult.
* Cleaning stations have been placed next to the crossovers (between the crossovers and the roadways) to aid in the removal of tar and oil.
* County officials are currently working with Unified Command to establish recreational and commercial decontamination stations for vessels (boats and watercraft).
* “Hot shot†teams will respond to specific requests during the day as needed.
* Oil reports vary widely throughout the day as heat from the sun brings subsurface oil to the top, and cooler temperatures at night tend to cause it to sink below the surface.
* A fishing closure is in effect from the state line east to the Pensacola Beach water tower, extending nine nautical miles into the gulf. Catch and release recreational fishing is still allowed.
Pensacola Beach
* Pensacola Beach is seeing coverage of up to 20 percent in tar balls and tar patties today.
* Cleanup crews were on the beach last night and crews working today as weather permits.
* Heavy equipment is being utilized on Pensacola Beach. Work will continue as weather permits.
* A moderate odor is being reported on Pensacola Beach.
o The Health Department advises:
+ Some people are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea.
+ In combination with seasonal allergies, such as sensitivity to pollen, or pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, some people may experience more severe symptoms.
+ Individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms that are aggravated by the odors from the oil spill should consider staying indoors in air-conditioning and avoiding strenuous outdoor activity.
+ If symptoms do not improve, contact a primary care physician or other health care professional for medical advice.
+ Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma or other respiratory illnesses should contact their physician if feeling symptomatic.
* Harvesting of fish is allowed east of the Pensacola Beach water tower.
* Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach to assist in answering questions from the public and act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams. The Pensacola Beach field office will be located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8. The phone number is 934-6500.
* Pensacola Beach remains open for business.
* Pensacola Beach events and activities
* Pensacola Beach live web cam
Perdido Key
* Along Perdido Key, tar balls and tar patties can be seen covering nearly 40 percent of the beach.
* Cleanup crews were on the beach last night and crews working today as weather permits.
* Escambia County has opened field offices on Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams. The Perdido Key field office will be located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive The phone number is 791-6905.
* Perdido Key remains open for business.
* Perdido Key events and activities at www.visitperdidokey.com
* Perdido Key live web cam at www.visitperdidokey.com
Pensacola
* Events and activities for Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key are listed at www.visitpensacola.com.
Important Phone Numbers
* Report oiled shoreline to 1-877-389-8932 or #DEP from a cell phone.
* Report oiled wildlife to 1-866-557-1401.
* Citizen Information Line: 850-471-6600