• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP.
  Report it to 1-877-389-8932 (new number) or #DEP from a cell phone.
• DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in coordination with Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Health, issued an executive order to temporarily close a portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. See details.
• This order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 14, and will remain in effect until repealed, extended or modified by a subsequent order.
• The closure includes state waters from the beaches out nine nautical miles into the Gulf from the Alabama line east to the Pensacola Beach water tower.  Interior bays and estuaries remain open to fishing.  This area covers approximately 23 miles of Florida’s coastline in Escambia County. See map.
• Recreational catch-and-release fishing is still allowed.
  
• The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are both open for sightseers and fishing, however fishing off the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier is catch and release only.
• A large plume of weathered oil has been detected nine miles south of Pensacola Pass. The plume is two miles wide and goes south for 40 miles.
• An additional plume of non-weathered oil was verified through state reconnaissance data. The plume is located three miles south of Pensacola Pass.
• Sheen was reported coming through Pensacola Pass this morning. Skimmers were dispatched.
  
• A  Recreational Vessel Decontamination Facility for local boaters is being established.
  

• Two barges recovering oil collided last night in Perdido Pass, sparking a small fire. The incident has been contained according to Unified Command.
• Remember that these reports vary widely throughout the day as heat from the sun brings subsurface oil to the top, and cooler temperatures at night tend to cause it to sink below the surface.
• Escambia County has received reports of boaters cutting through boom and/or dislodging anchors from boom to remove their boats from closed waterways.
• Anyone caught destroying, disturbing or stealing boom will be prosecuted. If you spot any illegal activity related to the booms, please call 1-800-320-0519.
• Boaters needing access in or out of locally boomed waters are asked to call 850-736-2261 and wait for assistance.
• See Escambia Inland Waterways Deployed Boom List.
• Skimmer vessels continue to respond as reports are received. Skimmers are working nightly.
• Relatively weak winds (below 10 knots), low seas (below two feet) and relatively low rain chances are expected to prevail through the next two days, which will be favorable for surface oil recovery operations. Winds are expected to remain out of the south-southwest for the next three days, continuing to push portions of the oil plume towards the western Florida Panhandle.
• Dime to five inch-sized tar balls and tar patties continue to come in with nightly high tides over widely scattered areas of the beaches. Cleanup crews are responding daily.
• Pensacola Pass will be closed and navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide as water enters Pensacola Bay, and will reopen during ebb (outgoing) tide as water flows out to the gulf. The pass will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic.
• According to DEP, Florida is working on an alternative booming plan for Pensacola Pass. Boom has been reconfigured to a funnel shape. This would allow for skimmers to work the opening of the pass during the incoming tide.
  
• Perdido Pass will be closed and navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide as water enters Perdido Bay, and will reopen during ebb (outgoing) tide as water flows out to the gulf. Boom is deployed across the deep draft waterway to the east of Perdido Bay, but navigation is still open through a gate system.
• Unified Command authorized the closure of Bayou Texar on June 11. Boom is deployed across the opening of the bayou. The bayou is navigationally restricted during incoming (flood) tide. It is manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic. The bayou reopens during outgoing (ebb) tide as water flows out to the gulf.
• See NOAA tide predictions.
• Boaters are asked to be mindful of the boom and skimming operations, to use slow speeds so as not to produce a wake that may disrupt the boom, and to be aware of restricted areas.
• A flashing light has been attached to all boom to increase visibility to boaters.
• The Intracoastal Waterway remains open.
• NOAA trajectories show direct on-shore impacts of scattered tarballs and light sheen through the weekend, for coastal regions near and west of Pensacola.
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.

• Based on the volume of tar balls washing ashore on Perdido Key and the difficulty in avoiding contact with the tar in the surf, the state health department issued a health advisory June 8 from the Florida/Alabama line east to the entrance of Johnson Beach/Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Health Department posted signs at the affected area.
• This is an advisory, not a ban. People may safely participate in activities that are above the high tide line and can still swim at their own risk. If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com.
• The health department will continue to monitor the levels of tar balls and will lift the advisory as conditions improve.
• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida total 12,269 with $8,366,436.33 paid.
• BP has 375 vessels activated in the Vessels of Opportunity program in Florida.
• 341 Qualified Community Responders are actively working the cleanup efforts in the Florida Panhandle.

• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and job placement for a fee. BP does not charge to train applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories. Call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is located at 435 East Government Street for questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other questions. Phone: 850-912-8640.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will be available to the media at the Emergency Operations Center at 10:40 a.m. on Monday, June 14.

• Latest information from NOAA Fisheries Service, including fisheries closure, regulation changes and quota increases: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• Governor Crist announces license extensions, early bay scallop harvest season for Florida.
• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF).

• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100. For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the form and supporting documentation to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the 1-800-320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.

• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches, Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and to also act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams.
  • The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8; phone: 934-6500.
  • The Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• The county received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on beaches. Eight pieces were requested. BP is procuring five and planning for three more.
• County contractors continue to monitor passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
• Officials meet with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline. Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining.
• Escambia County has allocated more than $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key routinely to indicate any changes in water quality. The latest testing came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons, meaning no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found. Tar balls represent a different and less toxic form of the oil.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.

• New boom has been added by city at the Escambia Bay entrance to Gaborone Swamp off Scenic Highway.
• As requested by the city, additional boom has been placed at the mouth of Bayou Texar by the county to provide additional protection.
• New boom will be added by city to protect aquatic vegetation just south of 17th Avenue boat ramp at Bayou Texar on west side.
• DEP currently booming Project Greenshores Phase II from Muscogee Wharf to Hawkshaw Lagoon.
• New boom will be added by the city across entrance to Pitt Slip Marina in the very near future, as warranted.
• New boom has been added by the city to entrance of new Maritime Park bulkhead mitigation site immediately west of Crab Trap restaurant.
• City is currently requesting/seeking approximately 1100′ of boom to secure and protect the rip-rap surrounding the Bruce Beach wetland mitigation site maintained by the Port of Pensacola.
• New boom has been added by city to protect shoreline of Sanders Beach-Corrine Jones community center and waterfront park facility immediately east of Bayou Chico.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-877-389-8932 .

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs.
• Seafood Consumption FAQs.

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water. Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • Report oil on the beach or shoreline: 1-877-389-8932 or #DEP from a cell phone
  • To report oiled wildlife: 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims: 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom: 1-866-448-5816 or 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line: 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line: 1-888-337-3569

• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP.
  Report it to 1-877-389-8932 (new number) or #DEP from a cell phone.
• DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.

• Escambia County has received reports of boaters cutting through boom and/or dislodging anchors from boom to remove their boats from closed waterways.
• Areas of reported boom vandalism are: Star Lake, Lafitte Cove and Palafox Pier.
• Anyone caught destroying, disturbing or stealing boom will be prosecuted. If you spot any illegal activity related to the booms, please call 1-800-320-0519.
• In addition to exposing natural resources to harm, broken or loose boom poses a navigational hazard to the boaters and commercial shipping traffic.
• Boom in locally deployed waterways will limit waterway access. Boaters needing access in or out of locally boomed waters are asked to call 850-736-2261 and wait for assistance.
• See Escambia Inland Waterways Deployed Boom List.
• Sheen and oil were reported today in Perdido Pass, the Old River area and Pensacola Pass.
• Skimmer vessels continue to respond as reports are received.
• Two skimmers will be operating in Pensacola Pass tonight.
• Relatively weak winds (below 10 knots), low seas (below three feet) and low rain chances are expected through the next two days. Monday through Wednesday the chances of offshore rainfall increase to around 40 percent. Winds are forecast to remain light and out of the southwest through Monday before shifting to the west on Tuesday.
  
• Dime to five inch-sized tar balls and tar patties continue to come in with nightly high tides over widely scattered areas of the beaches. Cleanup crews are responding daily.
• Pensacola Pass will be closed and navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide as water enters Pensacola Bay, and will reopen during ebb (outgoing) tide as water flows out to the gulf. The pass will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic.
• Perdido Pass will be closed and navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide as water enters Perdido Bay, and will reopen during ebb (outgoing) tide as water flows out to the gulf. Boom is deployed across the deep draft waterway to the east of Perdido Bay, but navigation is still open through a gate system.
• Unified Command authorized the closure of Bayou Texar on June 11. Boom is deployed across the opening of the bayou. The bayou is navigationally restricted during incoming (flood) tide. It is manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic. The bayou reopens during outgoing (ebb) tide as water flows out to the gulf.
• See NOAA tide predictions.
• Boaters are asked to be mindful of the boom and skimming operations, to use slow speeds so as not to produce a wake that may disrupt the boom, and to be aware of restricted areas.
• A flashing light has been attached to all boom to increase visibility to boaters.
• The Intracoastal Waterway remains open.
• NOAA trajectories show direct on-shore impacts of scattered tarballs and light sheen through the weekend, for coastal regions near and west of Pensacola.
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.
• The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are both open for sightseers and fishing.

• Based on the volume of tar balls washing ashore on Perdido Key and the difficulty in avoiding contact with the tar in the surf, the state health department issued a health advisory June 8 from the Florida/Alabama line east to the entrance of Johnson Beach/Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Health Department posted signs at the affected area.
• This is an advisory, not a ban. People may safely participate in activities that are above the high tide line and can still swim at their own risk. If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com.
• The health department will continue to monitor the levels of tar balls and will lift the advisory as conditions improve.
• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida total 12,088 with $8,099,535.33 paid.
• BP has 354 vessels activated in the Vessels of Opportunity program in Florida.
• 324 Qualified Community Responders are actively working the cleanup efforts in the Florida Panhandle.

• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and job placement for a fee. BP does not charge to train applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories. Call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is located at 435 East Government Street for questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other questions. Phone: 850-912-8640.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will be available to the media at the Emergency Operations Center at 10:40 a.m. on Monday, June 14.
• Latest information from NOAA Fisheries Service, including fisheries closure, regulation changes and quota increases: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• Governor Crist announces license extensions, early bay scallop harvest season for Florida.
• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF).

• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100. For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the form and supporting documentation to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the 1-800-320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.

• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches, Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and to also act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams.
  • The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8; phone: 934-6500.
  • The Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• The county received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on beaches. Eight pieces were requested. BP is procuring five and planning for three more.
• County contractors continue to monitor passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
• Officials meet with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline. Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining.
• Escambia County has allocated more than $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key routinely to indicate any changes in water quality. The latest testing came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons, meaning no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found. Tar balls represent a different and less toxic form of the oil.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-877-389-8932 .

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs.
• Seafood Consumption FAQs.

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water. Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • Report oil on the beach or shoreline: 1-877-389-8932 or #DEP from a cell phone
  • To report oiled wildlife: 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims: 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom: 1-866-448-5816 or 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line: 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line: 1-888-337-3569

• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP.
  Report it to 1-877-389-8932 (new number), 1-866-448-5816 or #DEP from a cell phone.
• DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.

• A large plume of weathered oil was detected nine miles south of Pensacola Pass. The plume is two miles wide and extends 40 miles.
• An additional plume of non-weathered oil was verified through state reconnaissance date, located six miles south of Escambia County.
• Escambia County officials have confirmed through Unified Command that Captain Steve Poulin, USCG Captain of the Port for Sector Mobile, authorized the closure of Pensacola Pass at 7 p.m. today, June 11.
  
• Boom will be deployed across the opening of the pass and the pass will be navigationally restricted during incoming (flood) tide as waters enter Pensacola Bay. The pass will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic.
  
• The pass will reopen during outgoing (ebb) tide as water flows out to the Gulf of Mexico.
  
• Skimmers will continue working during the night.
• The Intracoastal Waterway will remain open.
• Boom in locally deployed waterways will limit waterway access in and out of commercial marinas and residential harbors. Boaters needing access in or out of boomed locations, should call 850-736-2261.
• See Escambia Inland Waterways Deployed Boom List.
• Perdido Pass will be closed to Terry Cove on the western side of Perdido Bay and navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide as water enters Perdido Bay, and will reopen during ebb (outgong) tide as water flows out to the Gulf of Mexico. Boom is deployed across the deep draft waterway to the east of Perdido Bay, but navigation is still open through a gate system.
• See NOAA tide predictions.
• Boaters are asked to be mindful of the boom and skimming operations, to use slow speeds so as not to produce a wake that may disrupt the boom, and to be aware of restricted areas.
• A flashing light has been attached to all boom to increase visibility to boaters.
• NOAA trajectories show direct on-shore impacts of scattered tarballs and light sheen through the weekend, for coastal regions near and west of Pensacola.
• Relatively weak winds (below 10 knots), low seas (below 3 feet) and relatively low rain chances are expected to prevail through the next 7 days. Winds are expected to continue out of the south through the weekend. A possible shift to the southsouthwest may occur on Sunday, which may continue to push portions of the oil plume towards the western Florida Panhandle through the next 72 hours.
• Daily cleanup continues on both beaches.
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.
• The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are both open for sightseers and fishing.

• Based on the volume of tar balls washing ashore on Perdido Key and the difficulty in avoiding contact with the tar in the surf, the state health department issued a health advisory June 8 from the Florida/Alabama line east to the entrance of Johnson Beach/Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Health Department posted signs at the affected area.
• This is an advisory, not a ban. People may safely participate in activities that are above the high tide line and can still swim at their own risk. If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com.
• The health department will continue to monitor the levels of tar balls and will lift the advisory as conditions improve.
• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida total 10,967 with $7,788,317.02 paid.
• BP has 376 vessels registered in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program

• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and job placement for a fee. BP does not charge to train applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories. Call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is located at 435 East Government Street for questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other questions. Phone: 850-912-8640.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will be available to the media at the Emergency Operations Center at 10:40 a.m. on Monday, June 14.

• Latest information from NOAA Fisheries Service, including fisheries closure, regulation changes and quota increases: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• Governor Crist announces license extensions, early bay scallop harvest season for Florida.

• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF).

• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100. For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the form and supporting documentation to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the 1-800-320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.

• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches, Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and to also act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams.
  • The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8; phone: 934-6500.
  • The Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• The county received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on beaches. Eight pieces were requested. BP is procuring five and planning for three more.
• County contractors continue to monitor passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• Staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
• Officials meet with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline. Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining.
• Escambia County has allocated more than $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key routinely to indicate any changes in water quality. The latest testing came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons, meaning no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found. Tar balls represent a different and less toxic form of the oil.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.

• Unified Command authorized the closure of Bayou Texar at 7 p.m. today, June 11.
  
• Boom will be deployed across the opening of the bayou. The bayou will be navigationally restricted during incoming (flood) tide. It will be manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic.
  
• The bayou will reopen during outgoing (ebb) tide as water flows out to the Gulf of Mexico.

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-866-448-5816.

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs.
• Seafood Consumption FAQs.

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water. Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • To report oil on the beach or shoreline:
    • 1-877-389-8932 (new number)
    • #DEP from a cell phone
  • To report oiled wildlife:
    • 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims:
    • 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line:
    • 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line:
    • 1-888-337-3569

• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP.
  Report it to 1-877-272-8335, 1-866-448-5816 or #DEP from a cell phone.
• DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.

• Tar balls and sheen have been reported coming through Pensacola Pass and into Pensacola Bay. The pass remains open at this time, however skimming operations are being conducted.
• The majority of oil reported in Pensacola Pass has been collected by skimmers. Responders continue to “chase” small patches of oil.
• Boom has been set in Pensacola Pass.
• Escambia County issued orders for crews to deploy secondary boom to be set in inland areas today, June 10. This boom will protect environmentally sensitive areas and will limit waterway access. Boats will not be able to pass.

Boom Location: Latitude: Longitude: Weekely Bayou 30.21.136 87.24.955 Heron Bayou 30.24.718 87.22.598 Bayou Marcus 30.25.834 87.20.433 Perdido Key Coves 30.17.641 87.28.390 Siguenza/Gongora East 30.18.322 87.25.146 Siguenza/Gongora West 30.18.378 87.25.280 Kees/Russell Bayou 30.18.708 87.28.358 Grande Lagoon Basin 30.19.173 87.23.484 Bayou Grande 30.22.290 87.16.298 Bayou Chico, West Arm 30.24.277 87.15.681 Bayou Chico, North Arm 30.24.657 87.15.524 Davenport Bayou 30.22.700 87.16.226 Star Lake 30.22.953 87.15.917 Palafox Pier 30.24.127 87.12.938 LaFitte Cove 30.19.749 87.10.000 Little Sabine Bay 30.20.383 87.08.901

• Boaters in areas where skimming is being conducted, or where boom has been set, have been requested to maintain no-wake speeds.
• Based on oil activity yesterday, the USCG “Captain of the Port” for Sector Mobile authorized the official closure of Perdido Pass at 5:30 p.m. It is manned 24 hours a day if vessels need to pass. The pass will be open for vessel traffic during low tide. (See NOAA tide predictions).
• Boat traffic needing access in or out of boom locations, should call 850-736-2261.
• A flashing light has been attached to all boom to increase visibility to boaters.
• A VHS mariner order will be broadcast on the closing of these passes.
• NOAA trajectories show direct on-shore impacts of scattered tarballs and light sheen through the weekend, for coastal regions near and west of Pensacola
• Approximately 200 members of clean-up crews were deployed on Escambia beaches June 10.
• Relatively weak winds (below 10 knots) are expected today and should continue out of the south or southeast through the weekend. This wind flow may continue to push portions of the oil plume towards the Florida Panhandle in the next 72 hours; however, near-shore ocean currents are forecast to become more westward in the next few days which will help limit the eastward movement of the oil plume and windows of sheen. Weather conditions will be favorable for recovery operations through the weekend with less than a 20% chance of rain and seas at around two feet.
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.
• The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are both open for sightseers and fishing.

• Based on the volume of tar balls washing ashore on Perdido Key and the difficulty in avoiding contact with the tar in the surf, the state health department issued a health advisory yesterday (June from the Florida/Alabama line east to the entrance of Johnson Beach/Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Health Department posted signs at the affected area.
• This is an advisory, not a ban. People may safely participate in activities that are above the high tide line and can still swim at their own risk. If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com
• The health department will continue to monitor the levels of tar balls and will lift the advisory as conditions improve.
• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida: 10,138 with $7,270,334 paid.
• BP has 395 vessels deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity Program.

• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and job placement for a fee. BP does not charge to train applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories. Call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is located at 435 East Government Street for questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other questions. Phone: 850-912-8640.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has opened 339 square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida panhandle – the northern boundary now ends at the Florida federal-state water line on the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay. Previous information read that 430 square miles had been opened. See details: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
• All Florida waters open to fishing – Florida’s recreational and commercial fisheries have not been directly affected by the oil spill. The only closed areas are offshore in federal waters where oil has been spotted. A special fishery advisory has been issued for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. See the news release for details.
• Governor Charlie Crist issued a Deepwater Horizon Response of actions taken since April 27.
• At the request of Governor Crist, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce expanded the fishery failure declaration for the Gulf of Mexico to include Florida on 6/2/10. This declaration provides impacted and eligible commercial fisheries the opportunity for federal support; it does not close fisheries.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF).
• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• FWC press release on data collection on gulf red snapper to address oil spill impacts.
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the form and supporting documentation to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us.
• For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the (800) 320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.
• An Economic Recovery Task Force was established facilitate efforts by businesses and industries in recovering from the loss of business and revenues due to the oil spill incident.

• A Legal Advisory Council was established to assess the impact the potential disaster could have on the state.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

• The www.escambiadisasterresonse.com and www.myescambia.com web sites will be down during routine maintenance June 10 from 10 to 11 p.m.

• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches, Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and to also act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams.
  • The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8.
  • The Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• The county received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on beaches. Eight pieces were requested. BP is procuring five and planning for three more.
• County contractors are monitoring the passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings will continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• County staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See our Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
• Officials meet with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline. Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining. The exact area for the advisories will be determined at the time oil is reported.
• Escambia County has allocated more than $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key weekly to indicate any changes in water quality. The latest water quality testing came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons, meaning no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found in the water. Tar balls represent a different and less toxic form of the oil.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.
• Residents and business owners with water access on their property should have pre-assessments prepared (photos, video, etc. documenting the current condition of the property).

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-866-448-5816.

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs
• Seafood Consumption FAQs

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water. Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • To report oil on the beach or shoreline:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-877-2SAVEFL or 1-877-272-8335
    • #DEP from a cell phone
  • To report oiled wildlife:
    • 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims:
    • 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line:
    • 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line:
    • 1-888-337-3569

• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to I-877-272-8335, 1-866-448-5816 or #DEP from a cell phone.
• DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.
• The www.myescambia.com and www.escambiadisasterresponse.com web site will be down at 9 p.m. on June 9 for several hours for maintenance.

• A thicker oil product has been reported in Perdido Pass.
• Escambia County has issued orders for crews to deploy secondary boom in inland areas, beginning in Perdido. This boom will protect environmentally sensitive areas but may impede boating.
• This boom will be placed in passes at Perdido Key Cove, Kees bayou, Russell Bayou and part of Holiday Harbor. Passes will be open for navigational purposes.
• All boom has been lighted to be visible to boaters and 24-hour crews will be mobilized to assist boaters tonight.
• A VHS mariner order will be broadcast on the closing of these passes.
• All booming will be deployed within the next 72 hours as planned. (See list)
• According to the NOAA oil plume model, the primary oil plume is now 13 miles from Pensacola.
• NOAA trajectories show direct on-shore impacts of scattered tarballs and light sheen through Friday, mainly near Pensacola and East Bay.
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.
• Based on the volume of tar balls washing ashore on Perdido Key and the difficulty in avoiding contact with the tar in the surf, the state health department issued a health advisory yesterday (June from the Florida/Alabama line east to the entrance of Johnson Beach/Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Health Department posted signs at the affected area.
• This is an advisory, not a ban. People may safely participate in activities that are above the high tide line and can still swim at their own risk. If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com
• The health department will continue to monitor the levels of tar balls and will lift the advisory as conditions improve.
• 590 members of clean-up crews were deployed in Escambia County on June 9.
• Light to moderate southeast winds at 5-15 knots are expected today, but will turn more to the south Thursday through the weekend. This wind flow may continue to push portions of the oil plume towards the Florida Panhandle in the next 72 hours; however, near-shore ocean currents are forecast to become more westerly this week which will help limit the eastward movement of the oil plume and windows of sheen.

• June 7 water quality testing from the University of West Florida came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons. This means that no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found in the water.  Arrival of tar pies represents a different and less toxic form of the oil reaching the beaches.
• The presence of tar balls continues on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. Areas of impact include Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore. The size of the materials typically range from 1/2 inch to 4 inches in size.
• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida: 8,217 with $5,378,781 paid.
• BP has 360 vessels deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity Program.

• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and job placement for a fee. BP does not charge to train applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP is providing a $100,000 grant through a Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteer Florida to maintain a database for the regulation of volunteers.
• BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories. Call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is located at 435 East Government Street for questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other questions. Phone: 850-912-8640.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• The Coast Guard has three 225 foot skimmers in the gulf working both Florida and Alabama.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has opened 339 square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida panhandle – the northern boundary now ends at the Florida federal-state water line on the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay. Previous information read that 430 square miles had been opened. See details: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil
• All Florida waters open to fishing – Florida’s recreational and commercial fisheries have not been directly affected by the oil spill. The only closed areas are offshore in federal waters where oil has been spotted. A special fishery advisory has been issued for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. See the news release for details.
• Governor Charlie Crist issued a Deepwater Horizon Response of actions taken since April 27.
• At the request of Governor Crist, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce expanded the fishery failure declaration for the Gulf of Mexico to include Florida on 6/2/10. This declaration provides impacted and eligible commercial fisheries the opportunity for federal support; it does not close fisheries.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF)
• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• FWC press release on data collection on gulf red snapper to address oil spill impacts.
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us.
• For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the (800) 320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.
• An Economic Recovery Task Force was established facilitate efforts by businesses and industries in recovering from the loss of business and revenues due to the oil spill incident.

• A Legal Advisory Council was established to assess the impact the potential disaster could have on the state.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

• The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Thursday, June 10 at 8:45 followed by a briefing from the Emergency Operations Center and then the regularly scheduled Committe of the Whole meeting.
• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches, Escambia County has opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and to also act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams.
  • The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8.
  • The Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.

• Escambia County received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on our beaches. We have requested eight pieces of equipment. BP is procuring five now and planning for three more.
• Escambia County contractors are monitoring the passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings will continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• County staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See our Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
• Escambia County opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams. The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8 and the Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• County officials are meeting with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• In the event beaches are impacted by the oil spill, it may be necessary to issue health advisories to protect health and safety.
  • The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline.
  • Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining. The exact area for the advisories will be determined at the time oil is reported.
• Escambia County has allocated more than $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County is evaluating every viable proposal for coastal protection and recovery, coordinating with Unified Command and will share information as it is approved.
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key weekly to indicate any changes in water quality.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.
• Residents and business owners with water access on their property should have pre-assessments prepared (photos, video, etc. documenting the current condition of the property).
• Deflective boom has been deployed in all locations of the Local Action Plan and Addendum One. Staff continues to evaluate areas and is monitoring all deployed boom.
• To keep waterways open as long as possible, boom is “wet staged” at some locations. When floating petroleum becomes an imminent threat, boom will be fully deployed. “Fully deployed boom” is described as boom anchored into a functional configuration.

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-866-448-5816.

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs
• Seafood Consumption FAQs

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water. Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • To report oil on the beach or shoreline:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-877-2SAVEFL or 1-877-272-8335
    • #DEP from a cell phone
  • To report oiled wildlife:
    • 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims:
    • 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line:
    • 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line:
    • 1-888-337-3569

• If you see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to I-877-272-8335, #DEP from a cell phone or 1-866-448-5816.
• If you find oiled or injured wildlife. DO NOT TOUCH. Report it to 1-866-557-1401.

• According to the NOAA oil plume model, the primary oil plume remains less than 5 miles from Pensacola
• The beaches at Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open.
• Late this afternoon, reports of an oily substance washing ashore on Perdido Key were received. The Health Department has issued advisory for the beach from the Florida/Alabama line to the entrance of the Gulf Islands National Seashore (Johnson Beach). The Health Department is posting signs at the affected area. Residents can participate in activities that are above the high tide line.  If you experience respiratory problems, leave the area and contact a physician if you deem necessary. Please see the Health Department web site for more information on health safety: www.escambiahealth.com
• June 7 water quality testing from the University of West Florida came back negative for aliphatic hydrocarbons. This means that no dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons were found in the water.  Arrival of tar pies represents a different and less toxic form of the oil reaching the beaches.
• See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
• The presence of tar balls continues on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. Areas of impact include Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore. The size of the materials typically range from 1/2 inch to 4 inches in size.
• Currently 420 members of clean-up crews were deployed in Escambia County.
• A light to moderate easterly flow of five to 15 knots this morning shifts to the south-southeast this afternoon and will slightly lessen. This wind flow pattern will persist through the end of the week and currents will become more westward for the next few days. These two factors will combine to inhibit further eastward movement of the oil plume along the Florida Panhandle. Weather will be favorable for recovery operations this week as shower chances remain below 10 percent and seas remain calm at one to three feet.

• Reconnaissance flights and ATV beach patrols are being conducted daily, weather permitting, to monitor Florida’s shoreline for impact.
• Escambia County Board of County Commissioners renewed the Local State of Emergency on Thursday, June 3 at the BOCC meeting.
• Unified command continues to check, verify the condition and make repairs as needed to currently placed booms. The county will work with Unified Command on any placement of boom within navigable waterways.

• BP claims in Florida: 8,252 with $5,378,781 paid.
• BP has 312 vessels deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity Program.

• There are reports of a scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as BP employees and offering applicants training and promising job placement for a fee.  BP does not charge to train and hire applicants.  If you or someone you know has been charged for training, please contact law enforcement.
• BP is providing a $100,000 grant through a Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteer Florida to maintain a database for the regulation of volunteers. BP’s Florida Gulf Response web site: www.floridagulfresponse.com.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16 & 17. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories.
• BP recommends anyone with a claim call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. By calling the claims number, adjusters at the claims office will have the information prior to your visit.
• If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call the Coast Guard at 1-800-280-7118.
• The BP community outreach office is open for citizens at 435 East Government Street. Representatives are available to answer any questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other oil spill related questions. Phone: (850) 912-8640, fax: (850) 912-8755.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
• To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit BP’s Community Outreach office at 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.

• The Coast Guard has three 225 foot skimmers in the gulf working both Florida and Alabama.
• CORRECTION: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has opened 339 square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida panhandle – the northern boundary now ends at the Florida federal-state water line on the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay. Previous information read that 430 square miles had been opened. See details: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.

• All Florida waters open to fishing – Florida’s recreational and commercial fisheries have not been directly affected by the oil spill. The only closed areas are offshore in federal waters where oil has been spotted. A special fishery advisory has been issued for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. See the news release for details.
• Governor Charlie Crist issued a Deepwater Horizon Response of actions taken since April 27.
• At the request of Governor Crist, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce expanded the fishery failure declaration for the Gulf of Mexico to include Florida on 6/2/10. This declaration provides impacted and eligible commercial fisheries the opportunity for federal support; it does not close fisheries.
• See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorlines (PDF)
• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• FWC press release on data collection on gulf red snapper to address oil spill impacts.
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to Innovative.Technolgy@dep.state.fl.us.
• For more information on Economic Injury Disaster Loans visit the SBA website.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the (800) 320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.
• An Economic Recovery Task Force was established facilitate efforts by businesses and industries in recovering from the loss of business and revenues due to the oil spill incident.

• A Legal Advisory Council was established to assess the impact the potential disaster could have on the state.
• For information on the Florida Small Business Development Center’s Mobile Area Command units, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp.
• Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

• Escambia County is received a permit from DEP to use rakes and tractors (mechanical cleaning equipment) on Escambia County beaches.
• Escambia County contractors are monitoring the passes for indications of oil during the evening hours.
• EOC briefings will continue 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with news conferences are held at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. until further notice.
• County staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. For details, see our Booming Locations and Booming Maps.

• Escambia County opened field offices on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key to assist in answering questions from the public and act as staging areas for the county monitoring teams. The Pensacola Beach field office is located at 5 Via Deluna, Suite 8 and the Perdido Key field office is located at 13578 Perdido Key Drive.
• County officials are meeting with BP and the Coast Guard daily on materials collected and locations of cleanup.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• In the event beaches are impacted by the oil spill, it may be necessary to issue health advisories to protect health and safety.
  • The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline.
  • Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining. The exact area for the advisories will be determined at the time oil is reported.
• Escambia County has allocated over $3 million local dollars to date.
• Escambia County has received $700,000 in funding for tourism promotion with the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, with another $700,000 to be allocated in 45 days.
• Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Escambia County is evaluating every viable proposal for coastal protection and recovery, coordinating with Unified Command and will share information as it is approved.
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key weekly to indicate any changes in water quality.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.
• Residents and business owners with water access on their property should have pre-assessments prepared (photos, video, etc. documenting the current condition of the property).
• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches they feel needs to be reported:
  • Contact the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce at 850-492-4660 on Perdido Key
  • Report to the lifeguards on duty on Pensacola Beach
• Deflective boom has been deployed in all locations of the Local Action Plan and Addendum One. Staff continues to evaluate areas and is monitoring all deployed boom.
• To keep waterways open as long as possible, boom is “wet staged” at some locations. When floating petroleum becomes an imminent threat, boom will be fully deployed. “Fully deployed boom” is described as boom anchored into a functional configuration.

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-866-448-5816.

• The Escambia County Health Department offers advice to residents experiencing symptoms from odors associated with the oil spill. (See details at www.escambiahealth.com.)
• Florida Department of Health Deepwater Horizon Health Information FAQs
• Seafood Consumption FAQs

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Boat owners are urged to dry-dock boats. Do not drive boats through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety

• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• If you see or smell oil, leave immediately. Avoid skin contact with oil or oil-contaminated water.
• Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas.
• If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters. Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.
• Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Report oiled shorelines to 1-866-448-5816.

• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodically.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented. Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and have records, receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include supportive records. If your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. Please record this depreciation.

• • To report oil on the beach or shoreline:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-877-2SAVEFL or 1-877-272-8335
    • #DEP from a cell phone.
  • To report oiled wildlife:
    • 1-866-557-1401
  • BP Claims:
    • 1-800-440-0858
  • To report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom:
    • 1-866-448-5816
    • 1-800-320-0519
  • Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line:
    • 471-6600
  • Florida Oil Spill Information Line:
    • 1-888-337-3569