Panama City Beach Open for Business--Oil Spill Update
Friday, June 18th (Day 60) update: The Panama City Beach Chamber is closely monitoring the situation and keeping up-to-date with the Government Agencies and Officials. Panama City Beach conditions are completely safe. The warm emerald-green water, white sandy beaches and abundant sunshine still define what makes Panama City Beach the perfect vacation destination. View the shoreline from Spinnakers web cam HERE OR view the shoreline from Regency Towers web cam HERE. Please be aware that
false rumors are circulating. Here's the truth--Panama City Beach is hovering around the area of uncertainty but there is still no scheduled oil impact, no dead marine life washing up and the air quality has no "smell of oil." Don't cancel your vacation--Panama City Beach is still very much open to the public. Great news! Getting to Panama City Beach just got a whole lot cheaper and easier. ***Our
new airport is open!***
Forecasted Maps: Please be aware that Panama City Beach is not directly labeled on the maps. Instead, St. Andrews represents the Panama City Beach area. Here's the truth--On the 72 forecast map, PCB is hovering around the area of uncertainty but there is still no scheduled oil impact. View the 72-hour "near-shore" trajectory map HERE. The majority of oil is also moving South "off-shore". Please read the guide to understanding oil trajectory maps HERE. Federal Fisheries Closure and no fishing boundaries have been outlined. View the updated Fishery Closure Boundary map HERE.
Spill site activity: "Optimization of the dual recovery system continues; on June 17th, total oil recovered was aprox. 25,290 barrels. (approximately 16,020 barrels of oil were collected, approximately 9,270 barrels of oil were flared and approximately 50.3 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.)The total oil recovered from both the LMRP Cap and Q4000 systems since they were implemented is approximately 204,200 barrels. The free standing riser installation is progressing for the long term containment option." –Reported on www.BP.com. To help understand this process please view the detailed diagram HERE. Reports are stating that BP might try a different sized cap, in the near future, to capture even more oil then the current method.
Current Operation Numbers to Date:
•Vessels of Opportunity: more than 2,930
•Barges: more than 555
•Skimmers: more than 447
•Other Vessels: more than 2,520
•Total active response vessels: more than 6,450
•Aircraft: 94
•Boom deployed: more than 2.41 million feet
•Boom available: more than 489,000 feet
•Total boom: more than 2.89 million feet
•Oily water recovered: nearly 21.9 million gallons
•Amount estimated burned: nearly 5.20 million gallons
•Surface dispersant used: more than 902,000 gallons
•Subsea dispersant used: more than 423,000 gallons
•Total dispersant used: more than 1,325,000 gallon
•Overall personnel responding: more than 31,000
•17 staging areas on the Gulf Coast are in place and ready to protect shorelines if needed (one is located in PCB)
Local Information: Stay informed here through PCBeach.org or call the local public oil information line at (850) 248-6030. People seeking reimbursement from BP should file claim via toll-free number (800) 440-0858. After doing so, they may also visit BP's local claims office, located at 7938 Front Beach Road in the shopping plaza adjacent to Bay Street Deli. The office is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.