Oil discovered on Florida beach as a result of Hurricane Sally, Coast Guard says
“Weathered” oil was discovered on a Florida beach after Hurricane Sally, the U.S. Coast guard said Thursday evening in a press release.
Oil was found Thursday in a the sand of “half-mile area” of Johnson Beach in Perdido Key, part of the National Park Service’s Gulf Islands National Seashore.
That area is a federally designated “Critical Habitat” for endangered species and a “Marine Protected Area” as well as “culturally important to federally recognized tribes.”
“There have been no reports of impacts to wildlife,” the Coast Guard said.
A team surveyed the degree of pollution to determine cleanup operations that would “reduce the disturbance to the environmentally sensitive area.”
Also involved in efforts to remove the oil are the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, and the National Park Service.
“We swiftly coordinated the recovery of oil, which eliminated the pollution threat, in a manner that leaves sensitive habitats intact and increases the ability of reconstitution,” said Cmdr. Kelly Thorkilson, Coast Guard Hurricane Sally incident commander.
The Coast Guard collected oil samples and sent them to its Marine Safety Laboratory in New London, Connecticut, for chemical analysis to identify the source.
It also said best practices include preventing vehicular and pedestrian traffic from mixing the oil deeper into the sand and manual removal of oily sand.:
Report oiled wildlife to the Wildlife Response Group at 757-761-9984. Do not attempt to rescue oiled wildlife, but allow trained individuals to avoid inflicting further stress and trauma on oiled animals.
To report pollution, please contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 9:26 PM.
