For Texas beaches, tar balls from oil spill could be on the way
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 30, 2010
dallasnews.com
The Associated Press
AUSTIN – Texans could see some icky tar balls roll up on their beaches in a few weeks as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but the state is in little danger of a larger threat, officials said Thursday.
While tar balls are unsightly, currents in the gulf would make it hard for a large oil slick from the 5,000 barrel-a-day spill to make its way to Texas beaches, said state Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.
Texas has sent equipment to help the cleanup, including containment booms for the attempts to burn off some of the oil slick caused by a blown-out well 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana.
Patterson said special wildlife rehabilitation trailers to help clean birds and other wildlife could also be sent.
Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, said the state emergency operations center is monitoring the spill and more equipment or people could be sent to aid in the cleanup if requested.
Beachgoers in Texas are well-acquainted with tar balls that come floating up from minor spills from oil drilling in the gulf.
Besides being a sticky mess, tar balls are also considered hazardous to wildlife. Sea turtles sometimes eat small tar balls, and birds can be affected if oil splotches soil their wings.
Last summer, state officials filled up at least 24 55-gallon drums of tar balls that were scattered along a one-mile stretch of beach from the mouth of the Rio Grande to South Padre Island, one of the state's most pristine beaches and a major tourist destination.
The Coast Guard notified officials in Mississippi and Alabama that the oil slick could begin making landfall on those states' coasts Saturday.
The Associated Press |
