As a major oil spill creeps its away toward the Gulf Coast, officials are hoping that recent efforts by British Petroleum and the United States Coast Guard can keep the Coast from the worst.
Gulfport Ward 1 Councilman Kenneth Casey said a change in tides and reduction of high winds is a good sign for the city.
"This morning the tides are low and hopefully this gives us enough time to boom the water and reach vital points inland," Casey told the Jackson Free Press. "The Coast Guard is putting more boom out today (in the gulf), at a time that it is critical. We haven't seen any (oil) on the beach, yet."
Casey said yesterday that high waves caused booms along the Bay St. Louis Bridge to come loose, but they are currently being repaired. The goal of the booms is to keep the oil from reaching the shoreline or marshes, but high winds can cause waves to topple over the booms, causing the oil to spread.
On Saturday in Gulfport, Sierra Club Southern Regional Representative Louie Miller said the spill was "America's Chernobyl" and called for more government assistance to prevent the oil from hitting the coast line.
This morning Miller said his position hasn't changed and has plans to take part in a flyover of the spill which is now approximately 80 miles off the Mississippi coast line.
Miller said he would like to see a full federal response to cap the well that is still leaking. "We want to see them cap that well and get out there skimming and putting out booms," he said. "As I've said before, the BP response has been pathetic and woefully inadequate."
Casey said municipalities along the Coast are looking into using C.I.Agent, a chemical that turns oil into an inert substance, as well as additional barriers along the shoreline. BP crews reported success in minimizing the spill today by injecting a chemical dispersant into the oil flow from its main leak on the ocean floor that breaks up the oil.
The Sun-Herald is reporting that 20 sea turtles washed up along the shore in Pass Christian yesterday. The cause of their death has not yet been determined. Currently, waters along the Coast and into the affected areas are closed to commercial and recreational fishing.
Miller said he was concerned about the turtles and called for an independent party to conduct the autopsies.
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