Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
July 4, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MDEQ JULY 4 UPDATE ON OIL MATERIAL IN MISSISSIPPI
BILOXI, Miss. – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) staff through aerial surveillance with the Mississippi National Guard, MDEQ response staff, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT) have observed the following Sunday (as of 6:00 p.m.) and sent to Unified Command for review and appropriate response:
Information from a morning flight:
•Emulsified oil streamers mixed with intermittent patches of mouse patties from small to approximately five feet by five feet moving west to east about six miles south of Horn Island (N 30 7.56 W 88 33.96; N 30 06.88 W 88 29.99).
•Four to five mousse patties, three to five feet in diameter, observed just off the northeast shore of Petit Bois Island (N 30 12.15 W 88 23.22).
Other information:
• Late July 3, sparsely scattered tar balls and tar patties on beach in Waveland and Bay St. Louis.
•Approximately 20 tar balls on West Belle Fontaine beach (N 30 20.5644 W 088 42.8031).
• Tar balls and tar patties observed in varying amounts over the north shoreline of Cat Island beginning west of the canal leading to the private residences on the island and moving west. Some small segments showed 100 percent coverage. Tar balls and tar patties were also observed in the rootwad of the high salt marsh areas.
•Tar balls along the southwest side of Horn Island in varying amounts from trace amounts of one percent coverage to small concentrated areas of up to 50 percent coverage. Some tar balls observed in the lagoons and near the loading pier.
Patches of tar balls and weathered oil are skimmed and corralled by Vessels of Opportunity and BP contractors. Skimming is used to remove streams of emulsified oil, tar balls, and tar patties. Tar balls and mousse patties on land are removed with shovels and rakes.
More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available at www.deq.state.ms.us/oilspill and www.dmr.state.ms.us/DMR/oil-spill.htm.
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