Oil spill recovery: Charlie Crist applauds Florida’s first oil spill response branch office
On July 7, 2010 Florida Governor Charlie Crist attended the opening of Florida’s first oil spill response branch office. The office is located in Pensacola, Florida and will serve Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Escambia County was the first in Florida hit with the devastating effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Pensacola beach was flooded with tar balls and gooey, sticky oil that crept underneath the pristine white sands.
Governor Crist released a statement regarding the opening of the oil spill recovery branch office. He said, “The Escambia/Santa Rosa branch office is an important component in better responding to the needs of Florida communities following the BP oil spill. By bringing together all response entities in an impacted area, we will be able to more quickly deploy the necessary resources to cleanup and protect our coasts and communities.”
The branch office is a joint response effort including members of BP, the United States Coast Guard, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and county representatives.
The office focuses on oil spill recovery and response efforts such as organizing and deploying reconnaissance teams, skimmers, vessel of opportunity, wildlife response, and cleanup crews.
Three additional branch offices are scheduled to open in the Panhandle. They will be in Okaloosa/Walton Counties, and in the Bay and Gulf/Franklin/Wakulla and Jefferson Counties.
Comments