Boom Time On The Coast

The local county officials along the Florida Panhandle are not happy campers about the “Well from Hell”. They are geared to hurricane response, with them leading the way and then the back-up and support from the state and Feds showing up a bit later. That’s why the Local Puppy Trainer is reporting Okaloosa officials vent frustration at spill bureaucracy. The counties have to wait for BP, the state, and the Feds to approve any action before it can take place.

Apparently even getting approval isn’t permanent, as State rejects Santa Rosa’s plan to contain oil spill. It was rejected after it had earlier been approved, and they had already started to implement it. Because of seriously reduced budgets, no one has the money to just do their own thing and then apply for reimbursement.

My county, Okaloosa, has jumped on a ‘chevron’ booming strategy, because it is the plan used by the Air Force for military oil spills in local waters.

All of these plans and strategies depend on using floating booms to corral the oil. In the “3. Boomtown” section of Pensacola Beach Blog’s Friday Gusher round-up, people who have inspected the boom lines express sincere doubt that the booms will do any good. The booms capture oil on the surface, but BP has dispensed so much dispersant into the oil that it isn’t coming all the way up, and will probably flow under the booms until it reaches beaches.

Walton county as already bought hay to use to absorb any oil because it is available locally and is biodegradable. Okaloosa has asked barber shops and salons to save hair clippings, which will be stuffed into pantyhose [I’m not making that up] and used as an absorbent. [Note: look, you dillweeds, don’t try to use cat litter, OK? It might work in your garage, but it won’t work on the beach.]