Town preps for possible oil spill impact
The Town of Fort Myers Beach discussed initial preparation plans for response to the Gulf’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill during the Town Council meeting Monday. Currently, there are no impacts to the state projected through Wednesday.
Town Environmental Sciences Coordinator Keith Laakkonen, Town Manager Terry Stewart and Marine Resources Task Force chairman Jeff Werner weighed in on the sensitive matter.
“The latest is that there are no projected impacts on the West Florida coast in the next few days. However, that can change depending on winds and current situations right now,” said Laakkonen. “There’s nothing forecasted to come this way for some time. However, with the enormity of the scope continuing, it potentially is going to increase. We should prepare and be ready to go.”
Laakkonen said the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has a contingency plan set up for such situations. He said a main mechanism the Coast Guard uses in response to this is contractors for the booming, skimming and dispersal operations. One worst case scenario discussed was the possibility of having tar washed up on the Beach shoreline.
“If the oil comes this far, we are going to have very thick tar that will end up on the beaches,” said Laakkonen.” It will be a major situation to deal with.”
“As far as tar and oil on our beaches, that is a significant issue for us,” Stewart agreed. “It means removal where you have to scrape it up and load it up and move it to a hazardous material site. This can be quite costly. We do have contracts in place with companies who assists us with hurricane debris and that nature.”
Stewart also touched on the oil flow and the effects it may have on wildlife/
“There is a flow or pattern that would bring that down the west coast of Florida and shoot it back around the tip and back up the east coast of Florida,” he said. “Aside from the issues with wildlife, there are contractors which the Federal Government and state has that would come in and work together to rescue and rehabilitate saved wildlife.
During public comment, Werner read an email he sent out to Town officials before the subject was discussed in length.
“Given the ever increasing ecological disaster playing itself out on Louisiana shores and Gulf waters, I believe it is important for the Town of Fort Myers Beach to have a plan ready to cope with any of the oil from this spill or future spills washing up on our beaches or infiltrating Estero Bay.” said Werner. “In that regard, if there are any steps that MRTF can essentially develop and implement such a plan if one does not exist already, please let me know.”
Stewart replied with an assurance that staff members were given assignments for tracking and gathering information from the Coast Guard and Lee County regarding emergency operations responses.
“Please be assured that should it become apparent that our beaches will be affected, the Town will be seeking volunteers to assist in our efforts and MRTF will be first among those,” he said.
On Sunday, Werner said he contacted Ostego Bay Oil Spill Cooperative President Joanne Semmer, who also trains and certifies people in the field. She told Werner the Town is a member of the co-op and two town employees have been trained in the past on oil spill response training. She is willing to help the Town develop an oil spill response plan to cover the beaches. She also offered the services and facilities of the co-op which the town must initiate the process and provide payment for items such as oil absorbent.
“It is important to be prepared,” said Stewart. “I don’t want to seem like an alarmist, but I think we can expect there will be some effect.”
The Town of Fort Myers Beach will provide a link on its website (fortmyersbeachfl.gov) for updates on the situation. If anyone has a question specific to the town, call Laakkonen at 765-0202. Go to www.floridadisaster.org/eoc for general questions about the spill and the state’s preparedness level.
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Lee County Emergency Management has begun monitoring the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
“We want to be proactive, and ensure that we have the necessary resources ready to respond, as needed,” said Operations Manager J. Stakenburg, in a recent statement. “Especially knowing the potential impact it could have on our local economy, environment, and even the health of our residents.”
Emergency Management held a planning meeting with federal, state and local agencies regarding protection of the shoreline and potential oil clean-up, officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard officials from Fort Myers Beach said the spill isn’t expected to reach Southwest Florida’s shores.
“All I can say is that the current trajectory isn’t showing the oil spill is going to impact our beaches, however, if it isn’t contained or secured, and it goes on for quite a while, down the road there might be an impact to our beaches in Southwest Florida,” said Lt. Commander Mark Sawyer with the marine safety detachment division on Fort Myers Beach.
Whether local beaches experience any residual effect from the spill depends on a number of variables such as weather and how long it takes for it to be contained.
“We are doing the best to reach out to our stake-holders to be prepared if and when oil should reach our shores,” Sawyer said.
Perhaps the most devastating affect of loose oil reaching any Gulf Coast beaches would be to the beginning of the sea turtle nesting season.
Rae Ann Wessel, natural resource policy director for the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, said all five species of sea turtles – Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill and Kemp’s Ridley – have been mating. The nesting season began Saturday and continues until October.
From Texas to Florida, thousands of turtles will begin laying their eggs on the beach.
“Sea turtles are nesting all over the Gulf Coast,” she said. “Thousands of sea turtles that are mating and preparing to nest, so this is absolutely the worst possible time.”
President Barack Obama, who said in April that he wanted to lift a long-standing moratorium on off-shore drilling in the Altantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, said Friday no new leases to drill should be issued until all platforms have a new safeguard to prevent anything like the spill last week, reported the Associated Press.
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, D-Florida, sent a letter to Obama on Thursday asking that further exploration be halted until an investigation determines why the rig exploded, killing 11, and leaked. Nelson also filed legislation to halt the Interior Department from expanding drilling, seismic testing or other exploratory operations.
He also wrote that the rate of the current leak would make the spill as large as the Exxon Valdez is one month.
“As I have argued for decades, drilling too close to the coast poses too great a threat to the economy and environment of Florida and other coastal states,” wrote Nelson.
MacKenzie Cassidy contributed to this report.