Oil Spill in Florida
President Obama has called the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico the worst environmental disaster that the United States has ever had to face. Florida is feeling the economic and environmental impact.
Tourists and investors are afraid and the oil spill is affecting Florida’s economy. Investors have stopped work on projects. Exact projections of the economic impact are difficult to predict. No one now knows how much oil will hit Florida’s beaches or how long it will stick around. In Orlando economist Sean Snaith of the Economic Competitiveness at the Univ. Of Central Florida based his calculations on a 10% decline in employment and tourism. He feels Florida could lose 39,000 jobs and $2.2 billion. He predicts that if the oil spill is severe and prolonged that the long term impact could cost Florida 195,000 jobs and $11 billion. All of these projections assume that the oil spill will on hit Florida’s western shore and not go around to the Atlantic shore line. So far BP has provided Florida with $75 million to try to offset economic losses.
Right now the hotels and beaches are packed but if higher concentrations of oil soak the shore, tourists could start looking for other vacation spots. Tar balls have washed up on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Beach but the main slick is still offshore. Local authorities have yet to close the beaches but advise beach goers not to pick up the tar balls. Some of the tar balls were called tar patties and were about the size of small plates.
NOAA has expanded its no fishing zone. The northern boundary was moved to Panama City Beach.
Some scientists are reporting that dolphins and sharks are showing up in shallower waters near the Florida coast. According to Marine biologist Larry Crowder of Duke University fish, dolphins, sharks, and turtles will leave water that is not suitable for them.
Leaving waters that are polluted is not necessarily a good sign for the future. This could later lead to massive die offs as the animals run out of oxygen or become easy prey for predators. As the oil slick moves closer to shore it could overwhelm the animals and kill them.
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This entire oil matter is a tragedy. I wish BP gave a crap about the disaster.
I read the article and am suspicious as to why these workers were not drug tested before hiring by the contractors as is usual. Just wondering if the reports of workers getting sick has BP worried financially. Workers on drugs or alcohol will have suppressed immune systems and the place is toxic after all. And I remember BP not allowing face masks and protective clothing. Is BP getting worrried about earlier bad decisions and possible legal action coming back to haunt them? In any case drug testing is usual but retro on a large scale seems clean-up.