DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL PROTECTION STRATEGY PLAN CITY OF APALACHICOLA JULYS, 2010 Van W. Johnson, Sr., Mayor Brenda Ash, Commissioner Betty Webb,City Administrator John M. Bartley, Sr., Commissioner J. Patrick Floyd, City Attorney Frank Cook, Commissioner Lee Mathes, City Clerk James L. Elliott, Commissioner CITY OF APALACmCOLAHOTLINE 850-653-1526 www.cityofapalachicola.com. OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR UNIFIED COMMAND: www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. A LETTER FROM MAYOR VAN JOHNSON Dear Citizens of Historic Apalachicola, After looking at the failure of many of the efforts of BP and those working with BP to the west of us here in Apalachicola to locate and contain the approaching oil spill and prevent it from coming ashore in these communities (Pensacola Beach, etc.), and after reviewing the projections of scientists from following the dye put in the oil erupting from the spill site, I am convinced that we must act immediately to defend and protect ourselves from this oil. We here in Apalachicola already know from our fight with the Army Corps of Engineers and upstream water takers over the illegal taking of our fresh water flow down the Apalachicola River, particularly during drought, that "no one is going to protect your backyard like you're going to protect your backyard." (Quote from Tony Kennon, Mayor, Orange Beach, AL- 6/14/10) We have been asking BP and our government for assistance to enable Apalachicola to protect against this oil for weeks, mostly without any response. Some of our sister cities to the west experienced the same delay and after five weeks the oil came to their shores and their focus has now been turned to clean-up rather than keeping the oil from getting to them. Apalachicola cannot afford this style of "protection". We owe it to ourselves, our businesses, our fishermen, our most productive estuary in North America, our visitors, our parents and grandparents and many generations of residents here in Apalachicola who have fought for its survival and won, to do what we have to do to protect against this oil from getting to our waters and shores. As always, this will take all of our effort and it will take the money from BP that we have been pleading for to financially enable us to keep the oil out of Apalachicola. I pledge to you that we will fight with everything we are and everything we are provided to protect against this disaster. We will include as a very important part of this process, keeping you informed of all the information we receive and providing an opportunity to question and get immediate answers from BP and the authorities on issues you feel are important. For that purpose, the City of Apalachicola has developed this response plan and I have scheduled the first Town Meeting to discuss the BP OilSpill for you at the Apalachicola Community Center on _ Respectfully, Van W. Johnson, Sr. Mayor INCIDENT HISTORY On Tuesday, April 20, 2010 an offshore oil drilling platform, Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana. The rig, owned by Transocean Ltd, was under contract to BP. Submerged at the bottom of the Gulf, the rig continues to discharge in the range of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. As of July 1, 2010, day 72, the oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, continuing to damage and devastate its coastline communities, shores and wetlands. RESPONSE AGENCIES City of Apalachicola hotline 850-653-1526 website: www.cityofapalachicola.com. BP, the United States Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service are the lead response federal agencies on the oil spill. For federal agency information and latest information on oil spill, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has been designated the lead state agency for responding to potential impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill along Florida's shoreline. FDEP has set up a website that will serve as the primary location for updates and information on response actions and impacts to the State of Florida at www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm. Franklin County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) continues to provide updated local information on the oil spill, as well as actions taken by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, this information can be found by visiting the Franklin County EOC website at WW\,yJranklinemergencymanagement.com/local incident update page.htm. As mandated under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Federal government developed a strategic booming plan with input from both the State of Florida and Franklin County. The plan is referred to as the "Area Contingency Plan". It is strictly controlled, and being implemented by the Federal government through the US Coast Guard. Franklin County also developed a plan in May of this year, that plan is called the "Local Contingency Plan", which received input from both the State and local citizens. Both the Area Contingency Plan and the Local Contingency Plan are under the control of Franklin County and it is being carried out by the county though its contractor Calvin Giordano & Associates (CGA). CITY OF APALACHICOLA LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONCERN The federal and local plans are similar to plans that have already been tried and subsequently failed in other coastal communities west of Franklin County. Giving the appearance that both plans lack what it takes to guarantee the complete protection of Apalachicola Bay and its estuary, the City of Apalachicola has started addressing our concerns directly to President Obama, USSenator's Bill Nelson, and George LeMieux and to US Congressman Allen Boyd, as well as directly to BP and their direct contract companies. Apalachicola is one of many small communities along the GulfCoast that is dependent almost entirely on an economic base of tourism and seafood. Decades of restricted freshwater flow down the Apalachicola River System by the USArmy Corps of Engineers, five years of dismal national economic conditions, and increased regulations on the fishing industry has already seriously threatened these industries. The effects of the oil spill could be the final blow. Mayor Van Johnson, City Commissioners, City Administration and staff are not satisfied with current response efforts to protect these industries, our national recognized natural estuary, shores, waterways and environmentally sensitive wetlands surrounding Historic Apalachicola, Florida. Thus, the need and urgency for this "Cityof Apalachicola Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Protection Strategy Plan" dated July 5, 2010. CURRENT CONDITIONS AND TRAJECTORY MAP AS OF JULY 5. 2010 Weather Summary (FDEP): Southeasterly winds of 10-15 knots will persist across the Northern Gulf Coast today and will continue increase up to 20 knots on Tuesday. Near shore waves will be low, around 1-2 feet, but will increase to 4-5 feet by tomorrow night High offshore chances of rain will hamper surface recovery operations through tomorrow. Offshore, no significant amounts of oil are within or moving towards Eddy Franklin and there is no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits. In the tropics, the National Hurricane Center has given the non-tropical low pressure system in the northern Gulfof Mexico a 10% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone before making landfall within the next two days. A tropical wave in the northwestern Caribbean is in an area of weather conditions favorable for development and has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. Current Situation (FDEP): • Florida beaches are open. • Estimated release rate of oil from Deepwater Horizon at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Optimization of the dual recovery system (LMRPCap and Q4000) continues; total oil recovered approximately 25,195 barrels on 7/02/10. • This event has been designated a Spill of National Significance. • Unified Area Command continues with a comprehensive oil well intervention and spill response planning following the April 22 sinking of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig 130 miles southeast of New Orleans. • More than 44,000 personnel are working the on and offshore response. • Oil-water mix recovered: nearly 28.2 million gallons • Response vessels available: more than 6,980 • Response aircraft available: 113 • Dispersant (in gallons): more than 1.68 million deployed • There is no planned use of dispersants in Florida waters. Florida Specific (FDEP): • Health Effects: Oil Impact notice postings: Escambia County, all Gulf side beaches; Walton County, all Gulfbeaches. • Tar balls, tar patties and sheen have been reported in Northwest Florida, with the heaviest impacts reported in Escambia County. • Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil from entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic during low tide. • Oil Containment Boom (in feet) total: 693,661 deployed in Florida. Tier 1 & Tier 2: 412,100 / Tier 3: 281,561 • In accordance with established plans, protective booming, staging, and boom maintenance is being conducted along the coast from Escambia to Franklin. • 173 vessels are deployed in Florida for the Vessels of Opportunity program. • 1,486 Qualified Community Responders are actively working in the Florida Panhandle. • Federal Fishery closure, west of Cape San BIas to state line. (see NOAAFB10-059). • According to the NOAAoil plume model, the oil plume is 21 miles from Pensacola, 107 miles from Panama City and 336 miles from St. Petersburg. The wind and wave conditions will push the near shore oil plume westward and NOAAis forecasting no direct impacts along Florida's coastline through Tuesday. • In addition to $100,000 for Volunteer Florida to maintain a volunteer registration database, BP has issued over $75 million in grants to Florida for booming, a national tourism advertising campaign, and the state's preparedness and response database, BP has issued over $75 million in grants to Florida for booming, a national tourism advertising campaign, and the state's preparedness and response efforts.