Florida Deepwater Horizon Response July 30, 2010
TALLAHASSEE – Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Message of the day: FLORIDA: THE FISHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Florida is known as the fishing capital of the world and on July 30 the world will have an opportunity to see firsthand that fishing is alive and well in Florida. With the recent coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Floridians are setting the record straight that Florida seafood is safe and that the waters in Florida are open for fishing.
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. EDT, be sure to watch the Live TV special celebrating Florida fishing on VERSUS TV. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and VISIT FLORIDA partnered on the one-hour live television special titled, “Florida: The Fishing Capital of the World.” The television special is produced by Bass2Billfish, a weekly show featuring fishing around Florida, also airing on Versus network. Florida government officials and fishing celebrities will discuss fishing in Florida in regards to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The live one-hour television show hosted by Peter Miller, Bass2Billfish host and professional angler, and Matt Iseman, host of “Sports Soup,” will feature fishing experts from around the state highlighting the different types of fishing in Florida. Check “Channel Finder” at www.versus.com to see if your cable or satellite provider carries VERSUS network.
The television special is made possible because of the support of the Florida Lottery, FWC, VISIT FLORIDA, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and the Florida Sports Foundation.
Current Situation
· The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1 or full activation.
· The State continues to focus on mitigating impacts to Florida’s shoreline.
· On July 29, Governor Crist announced BP will provide $7 million to the Northwest Florida Travel Council for tourism marketing and advertising. Expressing appreciation for the grant, Governor Crist promptly sent a letter to BP’s Doug Suttles, requesting another $43 million from BP to complete a second round of a tourism marketing and advertising campaign. On June 30, Governor Crist requested $50 million for this purpose. Learn more.
· On July 29, the State Emergency Response Team, in coordination with U.S. Coast Guard officials and county partners, announced it will begin rightsizing Florida’s response efforts to the Deepwater Horizon incident. Though Florida’s emergency response officials will adjust staffing and resources based on current needs, they will maintain the ability to either increase or further reduce operations as necessary. Learn more.
· Currently Deepwater Horizon is not discharging any oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
· State reconnaissance teams operating by air, land and sea continue to identify potential impacts and are actively coordinating with cleanup teams. View the latest reconnaissance reports.
· Although sporadic sightings of tar balls may continue, Florida’s shoreline is not expected to receive additional impacts over the next 72 hours.
· A tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea has a 10 percent chance of becoming an organized tropical system, while a tropical wave over the far eastern Atlantic Ocean has a 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours.
· Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.
· A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.
Learn More About Florida’s Response:
· Visit www.deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, find a listing of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, and more.
· The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Persons with disabilities can contact 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).
