November 4, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MISSISSIPPI BEACH ADVISORIES FOR OIL SPILL LIFTED
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and the Mississippi State Department of Health have lifted beach advisories for the three Mississippi Coastal counties issued due to the Deepwater Horizon incident. The beaches have been open to use under the advisories, but after weeks of clean up activities and continuous assessments of the beaches, the Mississippi Beach Monitoring Task Force recommends replacing the advisories with an oil impact statement.
The oil impact statement acknowledges that beaches have been oiled but are now open, cautions beachgoers that tar balls or tar mats may continue to be seen, and advises people that although these materials do not represent a significant human health risk, people should take some common sense precautions if tar balls are present.
The agencies recommend people to:
· Avoid contact with tar balls.
· If you see tar balls in the water, you are advised not to enter.
· Do not handle tar balls.
· If you get tar ball residue on your skin, wash with soap and water.
· If you get tar ball residue on your clothing, launder as usual.
· Do not use harsh detergents, solvents or other chemicals to wash tar ball residue from skin or clothing: this may promote absorption through the skin.
For more information contact:
Mississippi Department of Health---------------------------------------1-866-519-6362
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality-----------------------1-228-432-1056
Beginning next week, signs with this information will be posted at beach monitoring locations.
Maps of beach monitoring locations and the status of advisories are available at:http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi.
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