Jackson Free Press

State officials expect oil in the Mississippi Sound to make landfall on beaches within the next few days. Speaking to the Sun-Herald yesterday, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Trudy Fisher said that Coast residents should brace themselves for the possibility that skimmers and booms would not contain all the oil.

"I think we all need to be mentally prepared to see some impact on our beaches," Fisher told the Sun-Herald. "While we are making sure BP and the Coast Guard are doing everything they can, we don't believe they are going to be able to get it all."

The patch of oil, roughly one mile long and 200 yards wide, slipped through Dog Keys Pass and was about one mile off of Horn and Ship Islands in the Sound Wednesday. The oil managed to elude skimmer boats, prompting state officials to call for increased vigilance from aircraft and boats patroling the Sound and barrier islands.

Mississippi National Guard spokesman Lt. David Leiva told the Jackson Free Press that the National Guard is also increasing its surveillance, using planes equipped with infrared equipment and helicopters.

"Basically, what they do is go up there and pinpoint where these things are spotted as opposed to having vessels out there, in this humongous Gulf, hoping that they run into the oil and can skim it," Leiva said.

"It's better to fight an enemy 20 to 30 miles away than when it's hit your shore," he added.

Leiva told the Jackson Free Press that shifting currents were to blame for the oil's incursion. The spill from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig has largely spared Mississippi waters, while affecting beaches in Florida and Alabama.

"The current has shifted the game plan at this point," Leiva said. "Mother Nature was very kind to us for two months, and now she's changed her mind. Fortunately, as of this morning, the Coast Guard has pushed out cutters; there's more vessels of opportunity out there."

DEQ spokesman Robbie Wilbur told the Jackson Free Press that the uncertainty of currents and tides made predicting when oil would hit beaches--and in what form it would hit--difficult.

"Yesterday, some of it was breaking up into tar balls," Wilbur said. "With the currents and tides, sometimes the waves break material up."

The specter of oil on beaches has kept hotel occupancy rates down, despite the fact that Mississippi's beaches have remained oil-free so far.

Linda Hornsby, executive director of the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association, said that coast hotels are reporting roughly 70 percent occupancy, below normal rates for this time of year. There are still vacancies for the July 4 weekend, as well, Hornsby said.

"We're looking at availability, which is unusual for a Fourth that lands on a weekend, that makes the Monday a holiday," Hornsby said. "Usually everything would be booked up at this time."

Hornsby said that her current concern is "just getting the word out that we're clean and we're open."

"There's still all the wonderful things to do that there's always been to do, including entertainment and casinos," Hornsby said. "It's just a matter of getting the word out."

The Mississippi Sierra Club is channeling its members' frustration with with the oil spill toward educational efforts. The organization's Gulf Coast chapter is hosting a house party Jun. 30 at Harmony Hall in Gulfport to screen a short documentary about the spill's impact on the Gulf and to discuss clean energy alternatives.

Previous Comments

ID

158376

Comment

This state needs to take the lead putting politics aside and being proactive about preventing this mess from reaching the beaches and being Johnny on the spot with clean up crews when it does. BP's mismanagement and the federal government allowing the mismanagement to continue are not going to help us any so we need to come together and clean it up with or without them. Then we can send BP the bill. I'm a libertarian and believe in free markets and deregulation, but with that comes the responsibility for your screw ups. BP screwed up and needs to pay for their mistake, not to even touch the fact that 11 people died and they possibly died as a result of corporate negligence.

Author

Jacksonlibertarian

Date

2010-06-28T09:31:37-06:00