President Obama Visits Gulf Coast, Accuses BP Of Recklessness

Gulf Coast residents have known for 58 days now the dire impact that the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill will have on not only the coast, but the nation. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama ventured to the Gulf Coast for a two-day whirlwind tour of the affected areas from Gulfport, Miss., to Pensacola, Fla., to join residents in pressing a deeper sense of urgency to recovery and compensation efforts from BP.

His trip came the same day the grim news was announced that estimates have now reached toward 60,000 barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico per day.

During his speech at Pensacola Naval Air Station on Tuesday, President Obama called the oil spill the worst environmental disaster in the nation's history.

17,500 National Guardsmen have been authorized for deployment in response to the crisis, with about 1,600 activated. I saw firsthand a few of the guardsmen assisting recovery efforts a few days ago at the Perdido Pass Bridge.

Pensacola's beaches have largely been spared from oil contamination so far, but oil looming off the coast has brought up legitimate concerns about what the future may hold. Obama promised, however, that the coast will get the resources it needs to protect the beaches and revitalize the area in a physical and economic sense. "Because this isn't just an environmental disaster. For many families and communities, it's an economic disaster," he said.

To read more about the president's speech at NAS Pensacola, his national address from the Oval Office last night and to see photos of his two-day visit to the coast, check out the Pensacola News Journal's front page here.

I received an email this morning from John Campbell from the Okaloosa (County, Fla.) Oil Response Team with Coastal Planning & Engineering, Inc. that had a few key points for local residents and visitors in helping local and federal agencies trying to lay out boom and protect local waterways. A few key things he mentioned:

• Yellow oil-containment boom can be dangerous to swimmers and boaters. Boom can be damaged or destroyed by a collision with boats or jet skis.
  
• Boom can also be made ineffective by boat wake. When operating your boat near boom use slow speeds to create minimum wake. Also, stay in the navigation channel to reduce the effects of wake on the boom system.
  
• If you get close to the boom, currents can sweep you into the boom before you know it, damaging the boom and your boat.
  
• Avoid boating or swimming near boom.
  

Ashley Wright
Assistant Editor, Condo Owner Magazine
www.condo-owner.com
awright@coveypubs.com