News and Information From the Monroe County Tourist Development Council
Facts on Keys Tar Balls
The discovery of tar balls Monday at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is getting wide spread national media attention. The following are important facts to share when receiving questions about the tar balls.
• There is no conclusive evidence the tar balls found at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park are related to the northern Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and it is incorrect to jump to the conclusion that they are. The U.S. Coast Guard is having the tar balls analyzed by experts to determine their source.
• The noon, Tuesday, May 18, 2010, advisory from the Florida Division of Emergency Managements states: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oil plume model, the oil spill is 85 miles southwest of Pensacola, 135 miles from Port St. Joe, 185 miles from St. Petersburg, and 20 miles from the Loop Current. The oil spill is currently 85 miles from Florida and very near the loop current.
• If oil does enter the Loop Current, NOAA oceanographers say the travel time for it to get to the Dry Tortugas vicinity should be about 10 to 12 days. The Tortugas begin about 70 miles to the west of Key West.
• Finding isolated tar balls in Keys waters or on area beaches is not an unusual occurrence. The Keys are located along a busy commercial shipping route and commercial vessels sometimes discharge bilge water that has oil in it. Tar balls can drift into Keys waters from other areas, not just the northern Gulf region.
• It should be noted that in 2008 and 2009 there were 667 and 681 reports respectively of oil and petroleum incidents along Florida’s waterways and beaches, so these types of occurrences are not as unusual as one might think.
• Because of the public’s high level of awareness of the Gulf oil spill, reports of tar balls in the Keys are likely to increase. In fact the Coast Guard is specifically requesting anyone sighting a tar ball to call 1-800-424-8802. At other times, these would likely go unnoticed or unreported, and would not attract widespread public attention.
• It is important for everyone to await confirmation of the testing on tar balls before assuming where they came from.
• There are no recommendations prohibiting travel to the Florida Keys or engaging in any water-related activities in the region, according to the Monroe County Health Department.
• Keys State Representative Ron Saunders has asked Florida Gov. Charlies Crist to declare a state of emergency for Monroe County. This is normal procedure in order to qualify for federal reimbursement funding if required. Already, 19 other counties have been designated and they have yet to been impacted by oil.
Spill-related websites, primarily focusing on affected areas, include:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm • http://www.noaa.gov
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
TDC website with spill-related information for visitors: http://www.fla-keys.com
###
