Surfrider Foundation is sponsoring Volunteer oil testing on Florida beaches this weekend. The Testing is to take place in South Walton County and Pensacola Beach.
Surfrider Foundation would like to invite any and all volunteers from the surrounding area's to assist in this second phase of testing our area Water and Beaches for oil along Gulf since last year’s oil spill.
The second phase consists of digging three trenches along beaches on April 10 in Pensacola and South Walton County and taking core samples of the sand to submit for results, according to the nonprofit group’s news release.
“Based on our initial results we are seeing heavy settling of oil in our beaches that are not being cleaned up but rather just grinded into place,” the news release stated.
The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit environmental group dedicated to protection of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, according to the release.
For more information, visit the group’s website at http://www.surfrideremeraldcoast.org/ or contact Mike Sturdivant at 850-225-1747 or emeraldcoast@surfrider.org.
Showing posts with label BP SUCKS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BP SUCKS. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Fort McRee Recon for Tarmats 3-22-11
3-22-11 Fort McRee Recon for Tarmats
The following are pictures from our trip to Fort McRee on the very east end of Perdido Key. We had some friends in from Germany who are doing a "One Year Later" project on the Oild Spill and we wanted to show them some Tarmats that BP seems to continue to "overlook".
Melting tarmats
The Big Nasty
We have some extremely knowledgable folks who are helping us with locations...
Runny Oil on our beaches ... just what I was hoping for a year later!
If you can look closely in this photo...it's tarmats and tarballs are everywhere. Email me and I will send you the original photo. chuckb61at gmaildotcom.
When I look at this Photo I keep getting the Gilligans Island Theme Song running through my head...... three hour tour...
The following are pictures from our trip to Fort McRee on the very east end of Perdido Key. We had some friends in from Germany who are doing a "One Year Later" project on the Oild Spill and we wanted to show them some Tarmats that BP seems to continue to "overlook".
The Gulf Islands Nat Seashore sign at Fort McRee.
Our Track
Melting tarmats
Older Oiled Jetty Foundation that is starting to melt and run down the rock!
We have some extremely knowledgable folks who are helping us with locations...
Runny Oil on our beaches ... just what I was hoping for a year later!
If you can look closely in this photo...it's tarmats and tarballs are everywhere. Email me and I will send you the original photo. chuckb61at gmaildotcom.
When I look at this Photo I keep getting the Gilligans Island Theme Song running through my head...... three hour tour...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Particularly Deadly Night on Perdido Key, FL
One more Juvenile Porpoise and Turtle found this morning on Perdido Key.
I figured my foot would give you some scale.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Alabama tourism dollars drop $100M after oil spill | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal
Alabama tourism dollars drop $100M after oil spill pnj.com Pensacola News Journal: "Alabama tourism dollars drop $100M after oil spill
Associated Press • February 12, 2011"
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Tourists spent almost $100 million less visiting Alabama's main tourist beaches last year than the year before the Gulf oil spill, a tourism official said Friday.
The vice president for the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach tourism agency, Mike Foster, said Friday that $144 million was spent in the Baldwin County beach communities of Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan in 2010. That compares with $241 million in 2009, the year before the spill. The spending figures include money spent at hotels, restaurants and beach-related businesses, such as souvenir shops and beach chair rental stands.
"That is very significant," Foster said.
Foster said the number doesn't include revenues from people who stayed in motels or hotels in nearby communities like Foley or Mobile, or those who made a one-day trip to the shore. He said it also doesn't include revenue lost from tourists who would have stayed in motels or visited restaurants across Alabama on their way to the Gulf Coast.
The loss is probably worse than the numbers show because many merchants, hotels and motels offered large discounts to spur business, Foster said.
The Alabama Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover revenue lost by the spill. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Luther Strange, Jessica Garrison, said the tourism figures would be an important part of the overall assessment of damages to the state caused by the oil spill. She said Strange is working with Gov. Robert Bentley to determine Alabama's total economic loss as a result of the oil spill.
State tourism officials said 1 million fewer people visited Alabama's beaches in 2010 than in 2009. That figure was part of an annual report on the state's top tourist attractions.
The report said 3.6 million people visited Alabama beaches in 2010 compared with 4.6 million 2009. While the number of visitors to attractions on the Gulf was down, other attractions across the state showed an increase in visitors in 2010.
Gulf State Park alone recorded 300,000 fewer visitors in 2010 than the previous year.
Advance bookings suggest more people will visit the coast this year, but the numbers aren't likely to hit 2009 levels, Foster said.
"I hope that people who come for spring break take the message home that everything is fine," Foster said.
AP-WF-02-11-11 2331GMT
Associated Press • February 12, 2011"
Alabama tourism dollars drop $100M after oil spill
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Tourists spent almost $100 million less visiting Alabama's main tourist beaches last year than the year before the Gulf oil spill, a tourism official said Friday.
The vice president for the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach tourism agency, Mike Foster, said Friday that $144 million was spent in the Baldwin County beach communities of Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan in 2010. That compares with $241 million in 2009, the year before the spill. The spending figures include money spent at hotels, restaurants and beach-related businesses, such as souvenir shops and beach chair rental stands.
"That is very significant," Foster said.
Associated Press
He said the decrease showed people, concerned by images of oil- and tar-coated sands, stayed away from the beaches. Tourism plummeted across the coast after BP PLC's well in the Gulf of Mexico blew out in April, spewing millions of gallons of crude into the sea. Crews spent weeks clearing oil and tar balls from the beaches.Foster said the number doesn't include revenues from people who stayed in motels or hotels in nearby communities like Foley or Mobile, or those who made a one-day trip to the shore. He said it also doesn't include revenue lost from tourists who would have stayed in motels or visited restaurants across Alabama on their way to the Gulf Coast.
The loss is probably worse than the numbers show because many merchants, hotels and motels offered large discounts to spur business, Foster said.
The Alabama Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover revenue lost by the spill. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Luther Strange, Jessica Garrison, said the tourism figures would be an important part of the overall assessment of damages to the state caused by the oil spill. She said Strange is working with Gov. Robert Bentley to determine Alabama's total economic loss as a result of the oil spill.
State tourism officials said 1 million fewer people visited Alabama's beaches in 2010 than in 2009. That figure was part of an annual report on the state's top tourist attractions.
The report said 3.6 million people visited Alabama beaches in 2010 compared with 4.6 million 2009. While the number of visitors to attractions on the Gulf was down, other attractions across the state showed an increase in visitors in 2010.
Gulf State Park alone recorded 300,000 fewer visitors in 2010 than the previous year.
Advance bookings suggest more people will visit the coast this year, but the numbers aren't likely to hit 2009 levels, Foster said.
"I hope that people who come for spring break take the message home that everything is fine," Foster said.
AP-WF-02-11-11 2331GMT
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Crazy as it sounds we have fresh tarballs washing in on this onshore flow that developed today. They were dotting the beach every 10-15 feet in Perdido Key, FL. This is the exact location where we water tested on 11-4-2010. Photos included.
Water Conditions
This is smaller Quarter Sized Tarball, what worries me about this one is that it is very black and soft (not weathered at all). Therefore concievably it could be more toxic.
Larger Red Weathered Tarball size of a Dollar Coin. My size 10.5 footprint is next to it.
Water Conditions
This is smaller Quarter Sized Tarball, what worries me about this one is that it is very black and soft (not weathered at all). Therefore concievably it could be more toxic.
Larger Red Weathered Tarball size of a Dollar Coin. My size 10.5 footprint is next to it.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Todays Water Testing
11-4-10 Testing Sites
I was able to test four sites today. Mike Sturdivant suggested I try to work alot of the most heavily impacted areas from the June and July blackouts.
The four sites we settled on are as follows:
Fort Morgan, AL (Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge Beach Access Site)
View Unnamed Rd in a larger map
Gulf Shores, AL (Gulf Shores Public Beach East Access)
View 30.246908, -87.687979 in a larger map">
Orange Beach, AL (Cotton Bayou State Park Beach Access)
View 30.269094, -87.581871 Cotton Bayou State Park Beach Access in a larger map
Perdido Key, FL (River Rd Public Beach Access Site)
View 30.293109, -87.45136 Perdido Key, FL River Rd. Public Beach Access in a larger map
I was able to test four sites today. Mike Sturdivant suggested I try to work alot of the most heavily impacted areas from the June and July blackouts.
The four sites we settled on are as follows:
Fort Morgan, AL (Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge Beach Access Site)
View Unnamed Rd in a larger map
Gulf Shores, AL (Gulf Shores Public Beach East Access)
View 30.246908, -87.687979 in a larger map">
Orange Beach, AL (Cotton Bayou State Park Beach Access)
View 30.269094, -87.581871 Cotton Bayou State Park Beach Access in a larger map
Perdido Key, FL (River Rd Public Beach Access Site)
View 30.293109, -87.45136 Perdido Key, FL River Rd. Public Beach Access in a larger map
Friday, October 29, 2010
First Surfrider Water Testing Starting 10-28-2010
The Emerald Coast Chapter of the Surfirder Foundation has agreed to fund a Water testing program in our area. Mike Sturdivant is the President of the Chapter and will be my contact to operate the testing progam.
We have had several incidents of "surfer sickness" during some of our swells since BP capped the well in early August. I believe we all need to have some idea as to what is going on in terms of the environment we recreate in. Unfortunately right now we just don't have any local, state of federal testing data to look at in the areas we frequent.
Today we tested two sites, Terry's Cove aka Cotton Bayou State Park and the Jetty @ Alabama Point. These are certainly our two most surfed areas so I felt like we should get some test run here immediately. Test results take 2-3 weeks to get back from the lab. I will post results and blast everyone via email.
Maps of the two sites tested
Cotton Bayou State Park aka Terry's Cove
View 30.269094, -87.581871 in a larger map">
Alabama Point
View Larger Map">
I will be looking for volunteers to help with the process in the coming weeks so hit me up on gmail chuckb74atgmaildotcom.
I have some photo's I'll be posting. Thanks
We have had several incidents of "surfer sickness" during some of our swells since BP capped the well in early August. I believe we all need to have some idea as to what is going on in terms of the environment we recreate in. Unfortunately right now we just don't have any local, state of federal testing data to look at in the areas we frequent.
Today we tested two sites, Terry's Cove aka Cotton Bayou State Park and the Jetty @ Alabama Point. These are certainly our two most surfed areas so I felt like we should get some test run here immediately. Test results take 2-3 weeks to get back from the lab. I will post results and blast everyone via email.
Maps of the two sites tested
Cotton Bayou State Park aka Terry's Cove
View 30.269094, -87.581871 in a larger map">
Alabama Point
View Larger Map">
I will be looking for volunteers to help with the process in the coming weeks so hit me up on gmail chuckb74atgmaildotcom.
I have some photo's I'll be posting. Thanks
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