Oil Update May 7th

This afternoon, the Walton County Sheriff’s Emergency Management Office received two semi-truck loads full of material to be used literally as a line of defense in the sand. In Walton County’s Oil Action Plan, 20-thousand square feet of New Green Type 4 Belted Silt Retention Fence made from a cotton nylon fiber was delivered. The fencing would only be deployed if it becomes apparent that the oil soaked hay had bypassed the collection vessels. The fencing would be placed on the beach at the median high tide line. A beach raking machine would then collect the oil soaked hay. This would reduce the amount of oil that would eventually have to be removed by scraping the sand. In addition, Organic GeoHay rolls were delivered to the Emergency Management Office. Organic GeoHay is made from 100-percent recycled synthetic fiber that is absorbent. The rolls will be put in front of the lined jersey fence to increase the level of protection. The goal is to provide a line of defense for these precious resources. Sheriff’s Office personnel assisted the U.S. Coast Guard and Walton County Public Works employees in the installation of booms at seven of Walton County’s 13 coastal dune lakes, as per the Coast Guard’s defense plan.
It is hoped that this line of defense will ultimately protect Walton County’s 26 miles of pristine, white sands and the environmentally sensitive coastal dune lakes from being impacted by any petroleum product.