Six young ladies will take part in the Escambia County Junior Miss program tonight. They are Megan Andrews, Dallas Brown, Walton Nichols, Kelsey Templeton, Cierra White and Shelly Womack.
The program will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Woodfin-Patterson Auditorium on the campus of Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton.
For a photo gallery of the contestants and their Little Sisters, click here.
Contestants are:
Megan Andrews is the daughter of Bennie and Zelda Andrews. She is a student at W.S. Neal High School in East Brewton. For the talent portion of the event, she will perform a praise dance routine to “Grateful” by Hezekiah Walker. Serving as her Little Sister is Sharnae Puryear.
Dallas Brown is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown of Atmore. She is a student at Atmore Christian School. For her talent presentation, she will perform “Let It Be” as a piano instrumental and vocal presentation. Maud Meacham will serve as her Little Sister.
Walton Nichols is the daughter of Randy and Melissa Nichols of Atmore. She is a student at Escambia Academy. For her talent, she will perform a jazz dance routine to “My Strongest Suit,” from the Broadway show, Aida. Jenna Brown will serve as her Little Sister.
Kelsey Templeton is the daughter of Roger and Lisa Templeton of Brewton. She is a student at T.R. Miller High School. For her talent, she will perform “Temporary Home”, by Carrie Underwood. Serving as her Little Sister will be Jaime Snowden.
Cierra White is the daughter Earnie White of Flomaton and the late Angie White . She is a student at the Alabama School of Math and Science. For her talent selection, she will perform “New York, New York,” by Frank Sinatra. Taylor White will serve as her Little Sister.
Shelly Womack is the daughter of David and Janet Womack. She is a student at Excel High School. During the talent competition, she will perform a piano solo, “Valse, Op. 64, No. 1.” Niki Bryan will serve as her her little sister.
Pictured above: Cierra White, Shelly Womack, Kelsey Templeton, Dallas Brown, Megan Andrews and Walton Nichols. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
Calling it too important to leave to his successor, Gov. Charlie Crist called Thursday for a special session to ask voters to ban oil drilling off Florida’s coast – even though he doesn’t have buy-in from the House on the issue.
Crist’s call for lawmakers to return to town July 20 likely sets up a standoff with the Legislature – particularly the House – over the matter. Crist’s proposed amendment has a Senate sponsor, but so far nobody to carry the bill in the House.
Officially, Crist called for a four-day session to craft and pass a proposed constitutional ban on oil and gas exploration in state waters. If he can get it through the Legislature, it would go on the ballot in November for voter approval.
“I think it’s important that we put this into our constitution,” Crist told reporters at a hastily scheduled news conference. “Certainly, I think it’s important that we give the people of Florida the opportunity to make this call.”
Crist has been suggesting that lawmakers should return to propose a constitutional ban for several weeks, since not long after the April 20 explosion of the BP Deepwater Horizon rig that led to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history.
But with nearshore oil drilling already barred by a moratorium and no appetite in the wake of the spill to push for new drilling, House leaders have resisted. Several have said that Crist has been posturing – seeking the constitutional ban for political reasons. Crist is running for the U.S. Senate.
If a constitutional ban is to be put on the ballot by the Legislature, it has to be done soon. The deadline for getting a measure approved for the November ballot is the end of the day, Aug. 3.
Crist said he didn’t want to wait any longer to address the issue.
“I feel a compelling duty to protect Florida,” Crist said. “I’m going to be governor for about six more months and I think I would not be doing my duty as governor if I didn’t call for this special session.”
Crist said other issues arising from the spill could wait.
“This is a rifle shot,” Crist said of the narrow legislative call.
Several lawmakers have said there are other issues resulting from the spill that could require attention, most specifically the drop in property values expected along the Gulf coast.
Opponents of a constitutional ban say the existing moratorium on drilling in the Gulf makes a constitutional ban unnecessary, at least immediately. The argument is that lawmakers could easily pass a proposed amendment next March during the regular session.
Crist, who is running for Senate with no party affiliation and has been at odds with the Republican Legislature on several issues in the last few months , said he thinks the drilling prohibition needs to be stronger because future Legislatures could easily lift the ban.
“I know it’s barred statutorily, l but I also know that just last year they tried to change that statute and drill holes three miles off the coast of Florida,” Crist said. “That’s why … the will of the people should be heard on this.”
In order to put the issue on the November ballot, the proposal must be approved by the three-fifths of the House and Senate. To pass, it must then garner 60 percent of the popular vote.
Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, generally supports a ban. Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, has opposed a constitutional ban.
The proposal will be sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami.
While Republicans have resisted a special session, Democrats have been pushing for one and praised Crist for it on Thursday.
“I commend the governor for agreeing to call for a special session to ban near beach oil drilling, despite the resistance from special interests and some members of the Legislature,” said state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate for governor. But she and other Democrats urged Crist and lawmakers to take on other issues as well.
“In addition to banning near beach drilling, the special session should also tackle the urgent needs for our business owners and state, including much-needed small business relief, a more streamlined claims process, and the creation of an environmental endowment for additional research,” Sink said.
With criticism expected that he was grandstanding, or calling the special session to boost his Senate campaign, Crist said the issue was of paramount importance, and it was a simple call.
“The rightness of this is so clear, especially with what we have experienced in the past 80 days or so in the Gulf of Mexico,” Crist said. “This is an issue that is so important to the future our state, to the economy of Florida.”
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
The 2010 football schedule for Northview High School has been released, and it won’t have the Chiefs playing a home game until late September.
The Chiefs, 7-3 last year, will open their 2010 season on the road at Graceville on September 3. They will travel the next week, September 10, to South Walton before having an open date on the third Friday night of the season, September 17.
The first home game for the Chiefs, in their second year under Head Coach Sid Wheatley, will be September 24 against Bozeman.
Here is the complete schedule for the 2010 Northview Chiefs:
- September 3 Graceville — Away
- September 10 South Walton – Away
- September 24 Bozeman — Home
- October 1 Baker — Away
- October 8 Bonifay — Homecoming
- October 15 Freeport — Away
- October 22 Jay — Home
- October 29 Sneads — Away
- November 5 Vernon — Home
- November 12 — West Florida Tech — Home
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Authorities spent about two hours Wednesday evening searching for a Walnut Hill man that became lost after he walked about 11 miles along a railroad.
The 32-year old man phoned the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office about 6:30 p.m. saying he was lost on the railroad, and he had no idea where he was actually located. He told emergency dispatchers that he had left his home on Juniper Street in Walnut Hill about 5:30 a.m. with his two dogs. He said he had started walking along the railroad, apparently at Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill.
Eleven hours later, he told dispatchers that he only knew he was still on the railroad tracks somewhere in the woods.
Deputies checked the few crossings the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway makes in North Escambia, while sheriff’s dispatchers tried to use the man’s cellphone GPS coordinates to locate him. The data provided by the man’s cellphone placed him at various locations, including Crabtree Church Road in Molino — but Crabtree Church Road does not intersect the railway line.
Just as the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was about to take to the air to search for the missing man, he once again phoned dispatchers and said had walked to a dirt road. He was located on Barrineau Park Road, near the Perdido River and the Alabama/Florida state line where he was picked up by a friend, apparently uninjured, and driven back to Walnut Hill.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
The man accused in the stabbing death of a pregnant mother and her unborn child Monday night in Cantonment will not be getting out of jail.
Phillip Arnold, 65, made his first appearance in court Wednesday where a judge ordered him held without bond. According to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Arnold will be charged with two counts of murder due to the unborn child not surviving.
Arnold is charged in the stabbing death of 44-year old Angela Brown and her unborn child, Angel. Brown was the mother of seven other children. Deputies say Arnold stabbed Brown in the chest with a knife, but they have not determined a motive.
For more details on the murder, click here.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
Firefighters were able to contain a travel trailer fire Wednesday morning and keep it from spreading to two homes.
The fire on Cricket Ridge Drive near Kingsfield Road was contained to the interior of the travel trailer, which was located directly adjacent to a brick home. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment, Ensley and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the blaze.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
Thousands of bags of oily waste are being dumped in Escambia County (Ala.), sometimes being trucked through North Escambia.
The Timberlands Landfill in Escambia County (Ala.) is one of several receiving bags of oil-contaminated sand being cleaned off coastal beaches.
According to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the Allied Waste Services Timberlands Landfill outside Brewton is one of three in the state receiving oiled waste from BP. Generally, the oily sand and debris is contained in heavy plastic bags that are disposed of along with regular household waste.
The BP waste is transported to the landfills by Waste Managment, Inc.
Other landfills in Alabama receiving the oiled waste are the Magnolia Landfill in Baldwin County and Chastang near Mount Vernon.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
A 19-year old was arrested after he was found passed out behind the wheel of his Jeep in Cottage Hill with a beer in his lap and wet pants.
Early Saturday morning, Escambia County deputies and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the area of Williams Ditch Road and Highway 95A to a reported man down. When they arrived, they found a Jeep Cherokee sitting at the intersection with driver Brett Derrel McDonald, 19, passed out in the driver’s seat, engine running, and an open can of Budweiser in his lap, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
According to Deputy John Zabelle’s arrest report:
“I asked McDonald for his driver’s license and he pointed to my patrol car which was parked across the street and said ‘there is the game warden right there’. McDonald’s speech was very slurred and I could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. I asked McDonald again for his driver’s license and he proceeded to dig through loose change in the center console. I asked him again for his driver’s license and he removed his wallet, opened it, and looked through, passing by his driver’s license two times. He then then placed his wallet into his back pocket and stared at me. I asked him once again for his driver’s license and he stated that he doesn’t know where it is. I told him it was in his wallet, he laughed and pulled it out and handed it to me.”
McDonald told Deputy Zabelle that he had consumed five beers in about five hours.
“I asked him to step out of the vehicle where I observed he urinated in his pants and he was very unsteady on his feet. Due to his condition, I did not conduct a field sobriety exercise for his safety,” the arrest report states.
McDonald was taken into custody, at which time a Lortab was found on his person.
McDonald was charged with driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test and possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person less than 21 years of age. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $3,750 bond. He is due to appear in court July 23.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
After some media organizations reported that swimming in Escambia County’s Gulf waters had sickened 400 people in one week, the Escambia County Health Department has issued a press release disputing the information.
“Recent news stories reported that 400 individuals complained of health problems after swimming in Escambia’s Gulf waters for one week. This is incorrect. The 400 individuals reporting sickness were for the period of April 1 – June 22, 2010 nationwide to the National Poison Data System.
For Escambia county, we have the following reports. In Florida, individual cases of exposure to oil are not reportable to the Health Department. Clusters of patients with similar symptoms and exposures are reportable, and there have been no such reports related to oil to date. Our surveillance system includes reports of oil-related symptoms at one hospital emergency department, reports from the Florida Poison Control Information Network (FPCIN), and physician reports to the ECHD Epidemiology Program. For the period of May 10 – July 7, 2010, there have been five emergency department reports of symptoms that the patient felt were related to oil. For the same period, the FPCIN received calls from 22 individuals identifying themselves as Escambia County residents having symptoms they felt were related to oil exposure. The ECHD Epidemiology Program has received no physician reports of clusters of oil-related illnesses.
Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
Here is the latest BP oil spill information specific to Escambia County for Thursday, July 8, Day 80:
- Report tar or oiled debris on the beach 1-877-389-8932 or #DEP from a cell phone.
- DO NOT TOUCH oiled or injured wildlife. Report your finding to 1-866-557-1401.
- Oil Impact Notice
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- Perdido Key reported an average coverage of 15 to 20 percent with an average width of 20 to 25 feet. The heaviest impact is from the state line to the state park. Product observed was sporadic to patchy tar balls, patties, staining and mousse.
- Pensacola Beach reported an average coverage of one percent with an average width of 20 to 50 feet. The heaviest impact is just east of Portofino. Product observed was sporadic tar balls and surface oil residue. Large amounts of seaweed were also observed.
- Perdido and Pensacola Passes – No oil was observed in either Perdido Pass or Pensacola Pass.
- Forecast for tonight, temperature 72 degrees with south 10 knot winds. Seas will be 3 to 5 feet and smooth in protected waters. Rain chance is 30 percent. Small craft should exercise caution. Thunderstorms may impact cleanup efforts both on the beaches and in the water. For safety reasons, if lightning is in the area, crews will be unable to continue working.
- The aerial recon flight this morning went from the Three Mile Bridge west over Pensacola Bay to Bayou Grande; west over Big Lagoon and Intracoastal Waterway to Perdido Pass; east along beach at Perdido Key. No oil was observed. Flight did not include Pensacola Beach due to conflict with Blue Angels practice. Large areas of algal/seagrass mats observed inside pass confirmed by spotter boats.
- Incident Command reported 9,324 bags (139,860 pounds) of tar ball and oil material was collected by 460 people on Tuesday.
- Perdido State Park (West of Pavilion) – 2,280 bags (34,200 pounds) collected by 97 people
- Gulf Islands Access 16 – 810 bags (12,150 pounds) collected by 102 people
- East Pensacola Pier – 949 bags (14,235 pounds) collected by 90 people
- West Pensacola Pier – 5,285 bags (79,275 pounds) collected by 171 people
- The Escambia County Health Department posted an Oil Impact Notice for the Gulf beach waters in Escambia County, Florida. This notice will remain in place until Escambia County Gulf beaches are no longer impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This notice includes the beaches under the control of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the University of West Florida and Perdido Key Sate Park. (More Information)
- The Escambia County Health Department has released information on what a person should do when an oily feeling or residue is present on skin. (More information)
- The Escambia County Health Department has release information on avoiding oil and tar on the beaches. (More Information).
- Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key Beach Protection and Shoreline Cleanup Plan
- The beaches are open for business.
- Please be sensitive to the clean up efforts on the beaches. We understand curiosity, but officials are asking the public to avoid work areas and allow room for the workers and equipment needed to clean the beaches.
- Please do not handle or walk through the tar balls and oil. This only spreads the product and makes cleanup more difficult.
- Unified Command has released a fact sheet on “If Oil is Spotted on the Shore” that provides details on what happens after the oil reaches the shore. Details.
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| BP |
- BP claims in Florida total 26,408 with approximately $25,561,278.46 paid.
- There are 285 vessels are deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program.
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- Incident Command has received reports that unknown individuals are attempting to scam people who would like to be beach cleaning workers for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response effort. Reports have come in from the states of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. These individuals reportedly state that workers must pay them for training before they can be employed. Legitimate beach cleaning contractors provide all required training free of charge. Individuals approached by anyone offering employment, only after you pay for the training, are encouraged to contact local law enforcement officials.
- 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.
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| Federal |
- Latest information from NOAA Fisheries Service, including federal fisheries closure, regulation changes and quota increases: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov.
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| State of Florida |
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued an executive order to provide additional oyster harvest days in the Pensacola Bay system. The order states that oysters may be harvested in conditionally approved oyster harvesting areas of Escambia and East Bay Shellfish Harvesting Areas in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties from July 3 through September 30. The order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 3 and will expire at 12:01 a.m. on October 1. (Press Release)
- The Department of Environmental Protection evaluated 10 different technologies for cleaning oil impacted beaches on Thursday morning on Pensacola Beach. The products and technologies were evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency of cleanup operations, deployment and disposal.
- The Department of Environmental Protection is planning another technology review event in a couple of weeks. Citizens and companies with suggestions, ideas, or products can submit their ideas to Innovative.Technology@dep.state.fl.us for evaluation for use in Florida.
- Governor Charlie Crist sent a letter to Doug Suttles, Chief Operating Officer of Exploration and Production for BP America, Inc. requesting an additional $50 million for the second round of a tourism marketing and advertising campaign to assist business owners and families in counties affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Letter
- Governor Charlie Crist sent a letter to Doug Suttles, Chief Operating Officer of Exploration and Production for BP America, Inc. requesting the data needed to evaluate the claims process and measure the economic impact of the losses to all level of governments throughout Florida. Letter
- Five skimmers were contracted by the state of Florida for this area with one skimmer designated for Escambia County.
- See Florida Department of Health information and alerts about the health effects from oil.
- See DEP’s Homeowner Tips for Protecting Florida’s Shorelines (PDF).
- The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase Street, Suite 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.
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| Escambia County |
- Beginning today, county staff will be participating in the operations and planning sections of the new Escambia/Santa Rosa Branch at Bayou Chico. This is part of the command structure for Unified Command.
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- Escambia County is excited to announce that the second $700,000 for tourism advertising has been received. This money will be used solely for tourism advertising for Escambia County.
- The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center is changing the operational schedule to Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- A news conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. on operational days.
- News releases and updates will be sent as needed on non-operational days.
- County personnel continue to monitor the situation and will re-evaluate operations in the event circumstances change.
- Cleaning stations have been placed on both Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach at the crossovers (between the crossovers and the roadways) to aid in the removal of tar and oil. Clean-up crews continue to work both beaches at night when temperatures are cooler.
- “Hot shot” teams are responding to specific requests during the day as needed.
- Staff continue to monitor clean-up efforts and skimming operations.
- Skimmer vessels continue to respond as reports are received. Skimmers are working nightly.
- A federal website is live providing real time information about the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil spill into one customizable, interactive map.
- A Recreational Vessel Decontamination Facility for local boaters is being established.
- 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.
- 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.
- See Escambia Inland Waterways Deployed Boom List.
- Perdido Pass, Pensacola Pass and Bayou Texar are navigationally restricted during flood (incoming) tide and reopen during ebb (outgoing) tide as water flows out to the gulf. They are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic. (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.
- 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. Details.
- 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. Map.
- Recreational catch-and-release fishing is still allowed.
- The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge are open for sightseers and fishing, however fishing off the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier is catch and release only.
- 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.
- 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; phone: 791-6905
- Staff continue to monitor and maintain boom. See Booming Locations and Booming Maps.
- Hurricane season began June 1. See the Hurricanes and Oil Spill Fact Sheet (PDF)
- 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.
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| City of Pensacola |
- 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.
- Boom has been added by city to protect aquatic vegetation just south of 17th Avenue boat ramp at Bayou Texar on west side.
- DEP has boomed Project Greenshores Phase II from Muscogee Wharf to Hawkshaw Lagoon.
- Boom has been added by the city across entrance to Pitt Slip Marina in the very near future, as warranted.
- 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.
- 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.
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| Volunteer Opportunities |
- 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.
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| Safety Information |
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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 1-866-557-1401. Provide location 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.
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.
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| Business Information |
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- 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.
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Important Phone Numbers For Citizens
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- 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
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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News
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