'WELL BELOW LEVELS OF CONCERN' DEP releases test results and wind blows oil away (PHOTOS and TRAJECTORY MAP)
The Emerald Coast may get a break from the onslaught of the Deepwater Horizon spill this week.
The NOAA is forecasting that southeasterly winds up to 22 knots will spare Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. Oil will continue to coat the coastlines of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle west of Pensacola.
To see photos of oil crashing into Orange Beach, Ala., click here.
See photos of the oil slick's latest targets »
To see the latest trajectory forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, click here.
The strong winds and ocean currents, which are expected to last for at least the next three days, gave the panhandle a virtually oil-free weekend. Dino Villani, Okaloosa County’s public safety director, said no tar balls were reported.
Cleanup crews conducting twice-daily patrols have found pea-size tar balls along the east end of Navarre Beach and a few dime-size tar balls along the high tide lines of Okaloosa County’s shorelines.
“The beach is in good condition,” said Joy Tsubooka, Santa Rosa County public information officer.
In Walton County, quarter-size tar balls were seen in Miramar Beach and nearby Tang-O-Mar Beach.
The break from oil was not enough to save the Destin Swordfish Tournament. The event, scheduled July 8 to 10, has been canceled. According to a press release from organizer Legendary Marine, the tournament was canceled “after careful evaluation and review of the most current NOAA Federal Fisheries Closure Areas.”
“Federal waters are closed, so that pretty much nixes anything shy of nine miles and you’re sword fishing about 70 miles offshore,” said Capt. Erik Anderson, tournament director. “This was our second annual. Based on the inquiries we were going to have close to triple the entrants.”
To read about another Destin fishing tournament that was cancelled, click here.
According to the NOAA, more than 33 percent (80,228 square miles) of the gulf is still closed to fishing due to the spill. There have been no additional closures since June 28.
It’s been longer since the NOAA Fisheries Service Waters reopened a closed fishing area. More than 8,000 square feet reopened on June 23.
There are no fishing advisories in state waters and all beaches are open. There are oil impact notices posted along the beaches.
“July 6 water testing showed no dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons above what is normal at Navarre Beach Pier and Santa Rosa Island,” Tsubooka said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) routinely tests coastal waters for more than 60 chemical contaminants related to the spill. Results for Santa Rosa, Walton and Okaloosa counties have shown no measurable contamination — even in waters with visible tar balls.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DEP started additional air monitoring sites in areas affected by the spill on May 18.
Since the DEP started monitoring Fort Walton Beach air for volatile organic compounds, the levels of toxins have remained “well below levels of concern,” according to DEP reports.
