WRS Compass- Newsroom

By Jennifer Raymond

Although the oil spill has moved 170 miles from Port St. Joe, the threat of oil reaching our shores is still a possibility.

"While it's out there, the potential is there," said Scott Nelson, Wakulla's emergency manager.

Nelson said the oil has actually moved a good amount West, but it bounces back and forth.

He added that there continue to be unknowns.

"The only thing we know right now is why," Nelson said.

Nelson said they know what happened and that the oil is still flowing out into the Gulf.

Preparations for the possibility are still ongoing to protect the Florida shorelines.

Mark White, program manager with WRS Compass, was at the County Commission meeting on Monday to address the boom plan for the area.

WRS Compass is the environmental consultant that represents the state.

The goal of the company is to develop a boom plan and then seek approval from DOC's boom committee. If approved, it will go to the funding branch and boom will be deployed.

When the oil starts to come near the area, a 72-hour notice will be given so there will be enough time to place the booms.

This will be a huge effort, White said.

And contractors and citizens will be needed.

The original boom plan for the area was the area contingency plan which BP is responsible for.

"We beefed up the plan," White said.

White said they received citizen input on places the boom will be needed.

White added that there are 244 miles of coastline in Wakulla County. The new plan adds an extra 18 miles of boom.

The placement of booms is directed towards estuaries and inlets, not the beach area.

White said those areas are easy to clean up if oil reaches them. If oil reaches a marsh, it may never be found. The boom plan also looks at areas where threatened and endangered species live, as well as oyster bays.

The company is looking at all different types of booms to appropriately address the situation.

The tar balls travel on the bottom and the top of the water. A representative from the company said they are much like water in that way.

To deal with tar balls, absorbent boom would be placed so that the tar balls stick to them.

The boom plan presented by WRS calls for the placement of booms at every port in the county.

"You're basically closing the Gulf of Mexico," Commissioner Alan Brock said.

When the ports would be opened back up is unknown.

Nelson added that booms are just one option.

"They've got active strategies," Nelson said.

Such as skimming and dragging, which is intended to try and collect the oil before it gets to the boom, he said.

"There's a lot of boom in there and it's not cheap," he added.

White said he should have a decision on whether the boom committee approves this week.

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