Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed on Friday an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in the Panhandle coastal counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okalossa, Walton, Bay and Gulf in light of the threat posed by the growing oil slick off the coast of Louisiana.
Currently, some 210,000 gallons of crude oil is being spewed daily under enormous pressure from a leaking well, following the explosion and sinking of British Petroleum’s (BP’s) Deepwater Horizon rig, 130 miles southeast of New Orleans on April 22nd.
There are reports that the oil spill is near land and close to the mouth of the Mississippi River. While attempts have been made to contain the oil slick through control burns, efforts over the last few days have ceased on account of weather conditions. Experts say that, as long as it keeps flowing the oil spill will keep growing and there is no idea where it will end.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates given the quantity of and rate at which oil is being discharged, the volume of the spill would exceed Alaska’s 1989 Exxon Valez by the third week of June.
In declaring the State of Emergency, Crist stated that, “The oil slick is generally moving in a northerly direction and threatens Florida’s coast. Oil continues to spill from the well as all efforts to stop the discharge have failed and may not succeed for an extended period of time.” Crist has also activated the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and other response recovery and mitigation plans necessary to cope with the emergency.
Estimated to be at least 600 square miles and expanding, there is grave concern that as the oil slick grows and approaches the shore line, the damage to the coastal wetlands areas and wildlife would be catastrophic.
Louisiana is home to 40 percent of wetlands in the U.S. and one of the richest sea food grounds. The governor has already declared a state of emergency as well as an emergency shrimping season. A number of fishermen today filed a class action against BP as their livelihoods would likely be lost.
The oil spill could not have come at a worse time.
Only recently President Obama announced that he was not going to continue with the moratorium on off shore drilling. However, the administration has said that no domestic drilling will be authorized in new areas until a comprehensive review of the present BP spill has been undertaken. Obama said that while the Federal government will utilize all available resources, including the Department of Defense to contain the oil slick, he made clear that BP was responsible for its clean up. This could likely run into billions.
