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'WE WILL DEAL WITH WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY': Possible oil clots discovered in Walton as county closes up dune lakes (PHOTOS)
Late Friday afternoon and Saturday, several quarter size clots of what appeared to be oil were found along Walton County’s 26 miles of coastline, according to Mike Gurspan of the Walton County Sheriff's Office.
The clots were identified, picked up, and the State Coordinating Office was notified. Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies along with Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and state wildlife officers (FWC) patrolled beaches Saturday to identify and dispose of any oil related substance that made its way on shore.
Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management personnel were also in frequent contact with state and federal officials to monitor the oil location in the Gulf and coordinate response efforts in the county.
Residents or visitors are encouraged to call (866)-448-5816 or (850)-267-2000 to report any suspected oil substance on the beach. Trained response personnel will be dispatched to pick it up and dispose of it properly. Residents and visitors should not pick up any suspected oil-related substances.
Also Saturday, Walton County’s contractors and engineers closed off several of the coastal dune lakes to prevent wave action from bringing any oil from the surf into the lakes, in the event that oil makes it to the beaches in large amounts.
The sand that was trucked onto the beaches and to the lake areas was part of Walton County’s Dune Lake Protection Plan that was approved and permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida DEP. To see photos from the scene, click here.
Captain Michael Barker, chief of Emergency Management in Walton County, said Saturday that area "beaches remain beautiful and people should continue to enjoy the unique beaches of South Walton County. If any oil is discovered on our beaches, it will be picked up and disposed of quickly by response personnel."
Barker added “It is business as usual on our beaches, and we will deal with whatever comes our way.”
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