Franklin County commissioners have taken some important steps to help make sure that Franklin County is as prepared as possible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill which is threatening the entire Gulf Coast.
On Tuesday the county commission approved the membership of the contingency planning committee. The 25 member committee is tasked with looking at the existing oil spill response plan which was created by the Coast Guard to make sure that the plan is comprehensive and effective for the local area. The 25 members represent all of Franklin County and include citizens from each city, government representatives, commercial fishermen, health officials and other people with specific skills that could help create an effective oil spill plan. The group held its first meeting this morning at the Emergency Management Office.
The board is also taking steps to make sure that key people in the county receive training needed to handle hazardous materials, in case a large scale oil cleanup is required. The board hopes to have certain county workers as well as firemen and first responders receive the training so they can oversee any needed cleanup efforts.
Franklin County has also agreed to work closely with Gulf County on any response to the oil threat. Gulf County Commissioners attended Tuesday’s meeting and said that both counties will benefit from working together and sharing manpower, equipment and expertise.
Also on Tuesday the commission made an official request that the state open the entire bay to oyster harvesting for the next month so that oystermen can make some money now. The fear is that the fishery could be closed if the oil comes to close to the bay, and oyster harvesters do not have the savings to weather a prolonged closure.
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