It has been nearly a month since an oil rig explosion caused a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pinellas County beaches remain clean and open for business.
"The only oil on our beaches right now is suntan oil," said Tom Iovino, Pinellas County Communications specialist.
Still local officials continue to monitor the situation and prepare for the worst.
"We're in full monitoring mode and working very closely with the Unified Command," Iovino said.
U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Tim Close, commander, Sector St. Petersburg, said the threat to Florida's west coast from the oil spill remained low as of May 14, based on the 72-hour trajectory map release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Unified Command in St. Petersburg, which is responsible for preparing for and responding to incidents related to the oil spill for 13 counties on the west coast, "is very focused around aggressively preparing for impact, anticipating that in all likelihood there will be no impact, but we're planning as if there will be," Close said.
Much of the work has centered on updating contingency plans to ensure that all environmentally sensitive areas have been identified.
Timyn Rice, on-scene coordinator with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said officials were continuing to "stress one important message: Florida residents and visitors can continue to enjoy our beaches and restaurants. There is no indication of any oil on Florida beaches."
Federal, state and local officials have been scrambling since April 20 when British Petroleum's oil rig Deepwater Horizon located off the Louisiana Coast exploded killing 11 workers. The rig sank two days later.
Officials estimate that 210,000 gallons of oil per day have been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. All attempts to stop the flow of oil from leaks in pipes located 5,000 feet before the surface have failed.
However, BP announced over the weekend that a pipe had been threaded into one of the two leaks and by Monday, they estimated that about a fifth of the oil was being siphoned off and pumped to a vessel on the surface.
Efforts also continue on the relief well, which officials say is the long-term solution to stop the oil. Estimates say it could be two months before the relief well is complete.
As of May 17, NOAA's plume model showed the oil spill located 75 miles southwest of Pensacola, 260 miles from St. Petersburg and 20 miles from the loop current.
Officials continue to voice concerns about oil getting into the loop current and traveling through the Keys to the state's east coast.
The DEP said, as of May 17, there are no signs of health risks to Floridians due to the oil slick, and the fisheries, wildlife and seafood off Florida's coast in state waters are safe.
Advisories will be issued if the situation changes, the DEP said.
Officials with the Unified Command in St. Petersburg and Iovino commented on the overwhelming numbers of individuals and organizations have stepped up to volunteer to help. These people are being referred to Volunteer Florida, Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Tampa Bay Watch and other organizations.
State officials are continuing to spread the word that only trained qualified community responders will be allowed to handle oil-contaminated materials or wildlife.
"We encourage you to get involved in your local community. Volunteers can support the oil cleanup effort through appropriate activities such as Coast Watch, pre-oil landfall beach cleanups, fundraising, and meeting other needs of responding organizations," is the message found at www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.
How to help
Several local organizations are seeking volunteers or donations to help support the oil spill response, including the following.
- Tampa Bay Watch is seeking community volunteers in Tampa Bay and along West Central Florida. Interested community volunteers should visit www.tampabaywatch.org to register for the latest updates.
- The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is looking for volunteers and donations. For more information, visit www.seabirdsanctuary.com.
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium has set up a fund for the rescue operations. Donations can be made by contacting the aquarium at 441-1790 or visit www.seewinter.com.
More information
For more information, call the Florida State Emergency Information Line at 800-342-3557. Other important numbers include:
- To report oiled wildlife, call 866-557-1401
- To discuss spill-related damage, call 800-440-0858
