BILOXI– Listed below are the latest updates and actions taken by members of the Mississippi Joint Operations Center in Biloxi:
MS Joint Operations Center Oil Spill Operations Update:
BP has dispatched all assets to return to the spill site. The Development Driller III, which is currently drilling a relief well, arrived back at the site on Saturday. All other critical assets were on scene by Sunday, and are resuming normal duties.
Due to Tropical Depression Bonnie, the following oil spill related activities were suspended last weekend:
Vessel of Opportunity deployment.
Petroleum related debris recovery.
In Situ burns.
Clean-up crews.
A possible oil patch is located approximately 2 miles north of Petit Bois Island, and is approximately 4 miles southwest of Pascagoula.
Over the next 24 hours, moderate winds may bring some remaining oil to Chandeleur Islands, Breton Sound, the mouth of the Mississippi River and shorelines west to Caillou Bay.
MS Department of Environmental Quality and MS Department of Marine Resources:
· MDMR and MDEQ have opened Mississippi’s territorial marine waters to licensed live bait shrimping and recreational catch-and-release hook and line fishing in areas previously closed. These areas are not open to any commercial harvesting activities. For more information regarding all open and closed waters, visit www.dmr.ms.gov.
· The beach advisories in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties remain in effect. They are listed at: http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/msbeach/index.cgi.
· A mandatory crab trap removal order by MDMR and MDEQ, which goes into effect at 6 p.m. Wednesday, is only for the closed waters of the Mississippi Sound. Contact the MDMR Shrimp and Crab Bureau at 228-374-5000 with any questions or concerns.
· Water sampling information is available at: http://opcgis.deq.state.ms.us/oilspillmap and air monitoring data is available at: http://gulfcoast.airnowtech.org.
Mississippi National Guard:
· The Mississippi National Guard on Friday found no abnormal readings during its regularly scheduled air monitoring at 20 different sites along the Gulf Coast in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.
· The Mississippi National Guard flew two missions Thursday, in support of Operation Deepwater Horizon Response and will continue flying daily reconnaissance missions to locate oiled beaches, damaged boom and oil nearing the shores.
· Approximately 200 Mississippi National Guardsmen have been deployed to assist in the response.
BP and Incident Command Post Mobile:
· BP reports 17,650 claims in Mississippi and $21,560,833.12 has been paid.
· Claims offices in Mississippi are located in each of the coastal counties. Office locations, contact information and more about the claims process can be found at http://bp.com/claims.
· Reports three dead oiled birds collected.
· From 5 to 8 p.m. today, at the Bay-Waveland Middle School Cafetorium, representatives from BP and other state and federal agencies will be on hand to speak with individuals and answer questions related to the oil spill. This event is being hosted by St. Gerald’s Community Outreach Office of Catholic Charities.
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
MEMA staff is working with BP to resolve reimbursement issues for local and state governments and assisting with individuals as the need arise.
Operations staff are visiting Vessel of Opportunity collection points and verifying the amount of petroleum product collection.
Deployed three Area Coordinators to coordinate information with local emergency managers in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.
Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service:
· Volunteers are needed for the following organizations:
o Hancock Chamber of Commerce.
o Bay St. Louis Childcare Development Center.
o Coastal Rivers in south Jackson County waterways.
o Humane Society of South Mississippi.
o Waveland Animal Shelter.
o Bay Area Food Bank.
o Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant.
o Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.
o Gulf Islands National.
o Walter Anderson Museum.
· For more information on volunteer opportunities and responsibilities, visit mcvs.org.
· Residents, volunteers and nonprofit organizations are invited to visit Volunteer Response Center locations between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to seek volunteer information. For locations, visit www.mcvs.org.
· Nonprofit organizations can request volunteers by completing a request form obtained through a VCR. Volunteer requests must be related to the oil spill response.
· MCVS is not accepting any donated materials, supplies, or funds from external organizations or agencies. To make a financial contribution or donate products to Mississippi nonprofits affected by the oil spill, please register with the National Donations Management Network-Mississippi at
www.aidmartix.org.
· For more information, visit www.mcvs.org and click on register to volunteer.
MS Department of Employment Security:
· MDES is accepting applications for Mississippi residents seeking paid oil response work. Visit www.mdes.ms.gov, and click on the oil spill link.
Important Phone numbers:
· Submit claims to BP: 800-440-0858.
· Report oiled wildlife: 866-557-1401.
· Report oiled shoreline/ vandalized, broken or damaged boom: 866-448-5816.
· Alternative technology, services or products/ vessels of opportunity: 866-279-7983.
· Report stranded dolphins or sea turtles: 888-767-3657.
· Report dead fish, birds or animals: 228-523-4128.
· Wildlife rescue training: 866-647-2338.
· If not satisfied with BP’s claims resolution, call the National Pollution Funds Center : 800-280-7118
Source: Mississippi Joint Operations Center