June 30th Oil Report

From the Walton Sun)

This is the latest Walton County emergency management update:
Walton County beaches continue to have tar balls wash ashore and officials are continuing to closely monitor the situation as the holiday weekend nears. Walton County beach patrol deputies are working with Emergency Management personnel by responding to reports of oil and assessing the findings. All Walton County beaches are open.
The Walton County Health Department issued a health advisory this afternoon, following a report by the Walton County Emergency Operations Center of oil substances coming ashore along a section of Walton County beaches.
The advisory covers beaches from the Lake Stallworth outfall to the western edge of Topsail State Park. The health department will continue to work with the Emergency Operations Center, and will notify the public, through the media and its website www.waltonso.org when the health advisory is no longer in effect.

Tar balls continue to be pushed ashore due to the tide and surf conditions. Emergency Management officials reached out yesterday afternoon and expressed concern about clean-up workers being pulled from the beach. The officials would like to ensure clean-up crews are on the beach and are ready if they should be needed, in the case of lightning or severe weather then they would be relocated to a safe area. Clean-up crews were on the beach last night and crews are on the beach again this morning.
The berming project, that got underway Friday afternoon, remains on hold until the tide level and surf conditions permit crews to resume working on the project. County consultants are discussing possible modifications that could be made to improve the berming plan; many of the berms that were constructed through the weekend have been washed away due to the tide. Modifications are being researched and the plans are being reviewed to see if there is potential for improvement.
Walton County continues to research companies capable of providing independent water testing, which will be in addition to current testing being performed by the Department of Environmental Protection. The county hopes to have results of recent testing from the Department of Environmental Protection today or tomorrow. Once results are made available to the county, they will be posted on the Walton Sun site.
Air quality test results continue to be consistent with values typical for this time of year and no obvious influence due to the oil spill is evident.
The Walton County Health Department has a team on the beach monitoring the conditions and testing local waters for bacteria. These results will also be posted on the Sun site as well.
The coastal dune lakes are reaching maximum capacity and will be relieved. Officials are deciding whether to relieve the lakes with a pump or to manually remove the berms and let them drain out as they do naturally.
The county has purchased a machine to assist in the clean-up of tar balls and other products on the beach shore. County officials traveled to Pensacola last week for a demonstration of a Beach Tech 2000 machine being used for clean-up. The officials were impressed with the machine and reported that it could be beneficial to the clean-up of Walton County beaches. The Beach Tech 2000 should arrive soon and will be used on Walton County’s beaches.
Walton County Emergency Management officials would like to remind residents and visitors, the beach flag system is directly related to the condition of the current. The flag system does not represent anything to do with oil.

Health Advisory Issued: Lake Stallworth outfall to the western edge of Topsail State Park
The Walton County Health Department issued a health advisory this afternoon, following a report by the Walton County Emergency Operations Center of oil substances coming ashore along a section of Walton County Beaches.

The advisory covers beaches from the Lake Stallworth outfall to the western edge of Topsail State Park.
The health department will continue to work with the Emergency Operations Center, and will notify the public, through the media and its website www.waltonso.org when the health advisory is no longer in effect.

Consider the following tips for avoiding negative health impacts from an oiled shoreline:
• Avoid entering areas where oil can be seen or smelled (no wading, swimming or entering the water).
• Avoid direct skin contact with oil, oil-contaminated water and sediments.
• Avoid contact with dead or dying fish or other aquatic life.
• Do not swim or ski in areas affected by the oil spill, and if traveling through the area by boat take precautions when hoisting the boat anchor. If oil makes contact with the skin, wash it off with soap and water.
• Do not fish in oil spill-affected waters.
• Do not harvest or eat dead fish, fish with oily residue, or fish that have a petroleum odor.
• Avoid boating through oil slicks or sheens.
• Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Prevent pets from entering oil-contaminated areas.
• Those near Florida's Gulf Coast may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some people are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies, such as sensitivity to pollen, or pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, some people may experience more severe symptoms.
• Individuals experiencing respiratory symptoms that are aggravated by the odors from the oil spill should consider:
o Staying indoors in air-conditioning and avoiding strenuous outdoor activity.
o If symptoms do not improve, contact a primary care physician or other health care provider for medical advice.
o Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma or other respiratory illnesses should contact their healthcare professional if feeling symptomatic.