FLORIDA DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE JULY 26, 2010

TALLAHASSEE – Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

“We continue to be extremely encouraged that the Deepwater Horizon well has been capped for 11 days, and we continue to monitor the oil remaining in the Gulf of Mexico. We are focused on evaluating the response needs in Florida and taking the necessary measures to ensure Florida’s residents, coastal communities and beaches are protected,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director, David Halstead.

Current Situation

·         The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1 or full activation.

·         The State continues to focus on mitigating impacts to Florida’s shoreline.

·         Currently Deepwater Horizon is not discharging any oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

·         All supplemental Tier 3 boom is being removed in the Northwest Florida counties, due to the impending tropical activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

·         State reconnaissance teams operating by air, land and sea continue to identify potential impacts and are actively coordinating with cleanup teams. View the latest reconnaissance reports.

·         Four Florida branch offices are fully operational in Northwest Florida. These branch offices bring together federal, state and local agencies to streamline response efforts.

·         Minimal impacts are expected to continue in Northwest Florida over the next 72 hours. Nearly 90 percent of Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline remains unimpacted.

·         No tropical activity is expected in the next 48 hours.

·         Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.

·         A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.

Learn More About Florida’s Response:

·         Visit www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, find a listing of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, and more.

·         The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Persons with disabilities can contact 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).

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