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WAITING AND 'BRAINSTORMING': County gets OK on action plan as it hopes for the best but prepares for an ‘environmental nightmare' (UPDATE with PHOTOS)
This is the latest emergency update from Walton County.
Friday, Walton County received the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to initiate our Coastal Dune Lake Protection Plan. Contractors began implementing the first stage of our plan by stock piling sand to close the dune lakes and re-contour lake outfalls to prevent oil from entering the lakes in the event of increased wave action in the Gulf of Mexico.
These lakes can be closed off by using stockpiled sand if needed, and then reopened to prevent lake flooding. This procedure is part of Walton County’s plan for the coastal lakes, which will be monitored by the Walton County Public Works Department, its contractors and engineers.
In addition, the Sheriff’s Office, South Walton Tourist Development Council and South Walton Fire District will be monitoring our coastline with trained personnel to quickly respond and assist with any oil related incidents along our twenty-six miles of beach.
Our beautiful beaches remain oil free and open for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. As we monitor the situation, the U.S. Coast Guard is managing staging areas in Panama City and Pensacola, which includes equipment such as boom and skimmers. They also have hundreds of workers at these areas, ready to respond to our area if needed. Vessels of opportunity are patrolling the coastline monitoring the situation. The boat captains are prepared to begin clean up efforts off shore to help prevent oil from reaching our coastline.
Volunteers are encouraged to call 1-866-448-5816, for information of volunteer efforts. The Sheriff’s Offices will continue to update its Facebook and website (www.waltonso.org) to keep the public informed of any new developments concerning this incident and potential impacts.
If any suspected oil substance is found on the coastline do not touch or remove it but call (866)448-5816 or (850)267-2000 and report the findings for them to be properly disposed of.
The story continues.
With reports of the oil sheen located six miles off of the Navarre Pier on Thursday morning, Walton County continues to wait for permit approval of the county’s action plan from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
“I still have not seen the permit from the DEP yet, we do have the Corp of Engineers permit that authorizes the work,” said Billy McKee, Environmental Manager for Public Works division.
Walton County’s plan covers the coast, but primarily the Coastal Dune Lakes System, McKee said. To read the county's action plan, click here.
“But we are waiting for the permit from the state, which is for some reason taking longer, which is usually not the case,” he said. “It is usually the Feds that take longer to get a permit out.”
And with Destin expecting to see oil sheen in less than two days, waiting may be a luxury the county can’t afford.
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COLLECTION OF COVERAGE
For the latest photos from the plug and cap operation, click here.
For the latest on the response from the city of Destin, click here.
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See a gallery of photographs taken at the beaches of South Walton. »
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Walton’s action plan, designed by MRD consultants, will be implemented in phases, starting with re-contouring the areas around the Coastal Dune Lakes outfall areas.
“Then, if and when it becomes imminent that oil is coming ashore, they will go out and put beach quality sand, that is approved, and fill in the outfall areas to keep oil out of the lakes,” McKee said.
Numerous attempts to halt the oil gushing out of the damaged oil platform, Deepwater Horizon, have been unsuccessful to date, the latest estimates have the release number at 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day.
“The key phrase being used by the Coast Guard is ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best,’ ” McKee said. “On a daily basis they have teams that are out on the beaches looking and monitoring for any sign of oil.
Booms are a key component to the plans.
“…essentially there are booms that will funnel oil into a more defined area where they can more easily skim it,” McKee said. “They are going to try and deal with it as far offshore as possible, initially.”
Weather conditions, wave heights and the currents have a lot to do with “how effective” the booms will be, said McKee.
“When you get out into the Gulf with 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-feet wave heights, there is just not a lot you can do,” McKee said “It’s an environmental nightmare.”
According to Mike Gurspan, Public Information Officer for Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the county is at a threat level-3 at this time. Before a “brainstorming” session Wednesday night, Gurspan said “everything is on the table.”
The state is at a level 2 according to the website floridadisater.org.
Monday morning the EOC will meet and a decision will be made to decide if an escalation is needed in the threat level, McKee said.
