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'WORRIED ABOUT THE LONG TERM': With oil plume three miles away, Pensacola closes pass (PHOTOS and LIVE FEED)
The Coast Guard authorized the closure of Pensacola Pass on Friday as massive sheets of red and orange oil loomed about six miles offshore.
Friday morning, large plumes of weathered crude oil were spotted six to nine miles south of Pensacola Pass during state reconnaissance flights.
Photos
See Friday's photos from AP's coverage of the spill. »
See Thursday's oil spill coverage in photos. »
To read the latest local report, click here.
An additional plume of non-weathered oil is now three miles south of Pensacola Pass, officials said this morning.
During an overflight of the area in a small aircraft Friday afternoon, a News Journal reporter and photographer spotted a massive oil sheen beginning about six miles from Pensacola Pass and extending southwest to the horizon.
The leading edges of the sheen were streaked by large red and orange plumes of weathered oil and scattered yellow-brown tar balls.
The largest patches of heavy oil covered 100 acres or more and were pushed into wide streaks by the wind. More than a dozen large ships — including shrimp trawlers, barges and work ships — circled in the areas of heaviest accumulation, dragging oil-skimming boom through the water.
Officials at the Unified Command on Friday said shifting weather and currents made it impossible to estimate exactly when and where the largest patches of oil would make landfall.
View official tide predictions here. »
Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino said county officials expected to see worsening amounts of oil making landfall in coming days. "What we're seeing is a mere smattering of this event at this time," Valentino said. "This is a dynamic event along our shores that will change minute by minute."
Southerly winds are forecast to continue through the weekend, and will push oil toward Pensacola and the northern Gulf Coast, according National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts.
NOAA trajectories show oil continuing to wash ashore on the western Florida Panhandle at least through Sunday.
The Coast Guard on Friday authorized the closure of Pensacola Pass so boom could be deployed to protect Pensacola Bay against the approaching oil.
Boom will be stretched across the mouth to funnel oil into collection areas during the incoming tide. During closures, navigation through the pass will be restricted to necessary watercraft.
The pass will reopen during the outgoing tide as water flows out of Pensacola Bay into the Gulf of Mexico, county officials said.
Tides occur at different times every day and last about 10 to 12 hours between changes. Official tide predictions can be viewed at http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.
Flashing lights have been attached to boom in the pass to increase visibility to boaters, county officials said. During closures, the pass will be manned to allow necessary vessel traffic in and out.
The Intracoastal Waterway will remain open to all boat traffic, county officials said.
The City of Pensacola received permission Friday to place protective boom across the mouth of Bayou Texar to protect the bayou if oil makes it through Pensacola Pass. Boat traffic in and out of the bayou will be restricted during the incoming tide, but the boom will be manned to allow necessary traffic in and out.
Several other local waterways, including commercial marinas and residential harbors will also be enclosed behind protective boom. Anyone needing access in or out of boomed areas should call 736-2261, county officials said.
Pensacola fisherman Earle Rader,71, said that despite the booming efforts, he was worried there may be no stopping the approaching oil slick as long as the well remained uncapped.
"My fear is that all the efforts are going to be in vain eventually, unless they can stop the discharge," Rader said.
"I know they're booming, but the problem is in a real strong current or a storm it's not going to work. It's going to go over and under the booms and get past them," Rader said.
Rader said he was still holding on to hope that protection efforts would work, but it was getting harder to stay positive.
"It's an effort. We've got to all make it, but I'm just worried about the long term," Rader said.
