by IN reporter Sean Boone
With the oil slick impending upon the Gulf Coast, The City of Gulf Breeze is in a crunch to receive more emergency assistance.
Yesterday the City sent a request to the Department of Environmental Protection for boom to be placed at the mouths of its bayous. But because its Advanced Contingency Plan (ACP) does not cover this specific type of disaster, its request was initially denied.
“Our ACP didn’t cover it…but regardless of the paperwork, we would still like to have the booming for the high sensitive areas…whether it’s ours or BP’s or whoever,†said City Manager Buzz Eddy. “I guess we never thought of huge oil spills and the kind of long-term damage they could bring. We’re currently in the process of finding out how we can change (ACP).â€
Today DEP changed its mind and approved the request, sending the details to the joint command center in Mobile.
When asked when he expected the boom to be placed in the city’s three bayous—Hoffman, Gilmore and Woodland—Eddy said this week. But he wasn’t holding his breath.
“If they even do it. Just yesterday they said no and now they say yes.†The boom requested is less than 2,000 feet. Roughly 10,000 feet of boom was placed in the Sound near Shoreline Park last week.