FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2012
Contact: Robbie Wilbur
601/961-5277
Post Hurricane Season Inspections Completed in Mississippi
(JACKSON, Miss) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced today that the Post Hurricane Season shoreline oil spill inspections for Mississippi were completed on January 5, 2012. These inspections were conducted to ensure that no additional oil impacts occurred as a result of storms passing through the Gulf of Mexico during the 2011 hurricane season.
In the State of Mississippi, 111 shoreline segments, consisting of approximately 40 miles, were inspected. Of the 111 segments, three did not meet the standard and continue to be cleaned and monitored. Segment lengths vary depending on the type of shoreline, but they are typically 1/4 of a mile in length.
In November 2011, Captain Duke Walker, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, consulted with the affected states, and directed BP (the Responsible Party) to re-inspect more than 300 miles of previously cleaned or never oiled shoreline.
The Unified Command, comprised of members of each affected state, the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Trustees, and BP, continues response activities to ensure effective removal of oil from the environment.
If the public observes oil in the environment, they are encouraged to notify the National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802. The NRC is staffed 24 hours a day by U.S. Coast Guard officers and marine science technicians.
Additional information on ongoing clean-up efforts can be found at www.restorethegulf.gov.
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