MDEQ Update on Oil Material in Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss. – MDEQ staff through aerial surveillance with the Mississippi National Guard (flights were grounded due to weather Monday), MDEQ response staff, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams have observed the following Monday -- as of 6:00 p.m.-- and sent to Unified Command for review and appropriate response:

• Approximately 20 tar balls and 12 pieces of oiled debris on beach in Hancock County.

•Moussed oil on Cat Island along a line of assessment (N 30 13.817 W 88 06.264 to N 30 13.832 W 88 06.809) that was not fresh and has been reported by previous SCAT teams. Sections of vegetation oiled up to 70 percent.

Patches of tar balls and weathered oil are skimmed and corralled by Vessels of Opportunity and BP contractors. Skimming is used to remove streams of emulsified oil, tar balls, and tar patties. Tar balls and mousse patties on land are removed with shovels and rakes.

More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available atwww.deq.state.ms.us/oilspill and www.dmr.state.ms.us/DMR/oil-spill.htm.

Oil Advisories Issued for 2 Beach Locations

BILOXI, Miss. – Beach advisories have been issued for two locations in Jackson and Harrison counties.

The state Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Marine Resources and Department of Health issued the advisories on Monday.

These areas were observed to have significant amounts of tar balls, tar mats, mousse, or sheen on Sunday, June 27. MDEQ and the Beach Monitoring Task Force recommend that people avoid contact with oil-related materials and to stay out of the water if these materials are visible.

These beaches are not closed and beach goers may continue to use these beaches, but the agencies advise people to be aware of their surroundings while recreating.

The advisories are issued for:

Jackson County: The area from Main Street in the Belle Fontaine area west to Seashore Avenue. This encompasses existing beach monitoring sites 17 and 15A.

Harrison County: This advisory extends from Miramar Avenue west to Veterans Avenue. This area includes beach monitoring site 12A.

Information and maps of these beach monitoring locations are available at http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi. MDEQ and the Beach Monitoring Task Force will continue to advise the public when oil-related materials are found. The nature of this oil spill is such that patches of these type materials could show up in other areas in the near future.

The Mississippi State Department of Health has provided these tips for people who come in contact with oil materials:

• Avoid direct skin contact with the oil.
• If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water.
• Wash your hands before eating to avoid accidentally swallowing oil.
• If you get oil on clothing, wash it in the usual way.
• Prolonged exposure to the oil may cause some to have a skin rash.
• There is no need to use harsh detergents, solvents or other chemicals to wash oil from your skin or clothing, and their use is discouraged.

More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available at www.deq.state.ms.us and www.dmr.ms.gov.

New Skimmers in Mississippi Waters by July 5

BILOXI – Mississippi will have its own skimmers beginning to operate in state waters by July 5, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced Saturday.

Belt skimmers will be built by Trinity Yachts in Gulfport and Overing Yacht Designs in Ocean Springs. Gov. Haley Barbour directed the construction of these vessels and for the costs to be paid by BP. In addition, state officials continue to locate additional skimmers for immediate use inMississippi waters.

Overing Yacht Designs, a Mississippi company, will build from the keel up ten 40 foot belt skimmers and four 30 foot belt skimmers in Amelia, La. Trinity Yachts will build nine 30 foot belt skimmers. The first one is scheduled to be available July 5 with all boats finished by Aug 1.

Local boat captains are being interviewed to be hired, and they will be trained to operate the skimming system. The state will maintain control of the vessels, and they will be operated under the authority of MDEQ.

“Belt skimmers are the best technology available, and they are able to deal with all types and consistencies of oil. In addition, the design of the boats will allow them to be used in deeper waters south of the barrier islands all the way to the shallow areas of the bays if necessary. We are looking for these vessels to be piloted by Mississippians who know our waters best,” said Trudy Fisher, MDEQ executive director.

More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available at www.deq.state.ms.us and www.dmr.ms.gov.