By Sean Boone
Fuel Clearing in Perdido Waters
Monday’s fuel leak in the Intercoastal Waterway appears to be clearing.
According to Escambia County spokesperson Sonya Daniel, there is only one pocket of deposits remaining west of the Theo Bridge in Perdido Key.
“It’s all but dissipated, the Coast Guard put an aircraft up and found no pockets of heavy deposits,†she said. “It’s a much smaller sheen than they originally predicted.â€
On Monday, residents living on River Road near the shore of the Intercoastal Waterway reported a slick of JP8 jet fuel to the Coast Guard. Since then, crews have worked to find the cause of the spill and calculate its spread.
Daniels tells the IN that the Pensacola Naval Air Station was not responsible, disproving a theory that a fueling barge was the source.
Because of the dissipation, county officials expect a minimal environmental impact.
The Board of County Commissioners will hold an emergency board meeting tomorrow at 3 p.m. to discuss the possible affects from the BP oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico.