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Summary

Mystery Spill:  John U. Lloyd State Park, Florida
SSC Evening Report
Friday, 11 August 2000


Situation:
Submerged Oil:

A meeting was held this morning at CBI to discuss a submerged oil survey plan and removal
of submerged oil within the southern half of John U. Lloyd SRA (JULSRA).  A diver and
volunteer at the park, described her observations over the last two days.  Her surveys
covered the portion of the park from the "Restroom #1" area south to the end of the park
property, approximately 0.5 miles.  She described numerous oil patties on the bottom from
softball to dinner plate size or slightly larger, scattered throughout the nearshore
trough within the areas she swam.  She observed little to no oil seaward of the nearshore
trough.  Submerged oil tapered off toward the southern limit of the park, where the
nearshore trough was less evident.  Note that the area she surveyed was just south of the
area where a submerged oil mat was documented yesterday by the shoreline assessment teams
(at the turtle monitoring stake marked with "Zone 3C (right facing arrow)".  She did not
encounter any areas as large as the oiled mat at this location.  She also estimated that
the oil within the 0.5 mile segment she surveyed could be collected by divers using
garbage bags in approximately 2 hours.


Based on information provided by the park diver, a decision was made by USCG, FDEP, and
the NOAA SST to limit the survey function of the diver operations and focus on removal of
the submerged oil identified by the diver and the shoreline assessment teams.  It was
thought that submerged oil patties could be removed from the 0.5 mile area described  by
the end of the day.


Divers arrived on-scene at the shoreline segment adjacent to the "Restroom #1" area at
13:30.  Collection of oil on the bottom began immediately.  Divers documented an oiled
zone, just seaward of a bedrock or gravel area in the nearshore trough, with the following
dimensions:  300-400 feet long parallel to shore, 5-8 feet wide, and 3-4 inches thick.
Coverage of oil within this area was 100%.  Oil visible on the sediment surface appeared
to have patchy cover, with visible oil dimensions similar to those described by the park
diver.  However, sediment probes and collection of the oil revealed that the oiled area
was continuous with much of the oil buried under a thin layer of sand.  The majority of
this oiled zone was removed by the contract divers.  Using two divers, collection of this
oil took roughly 2 hours 15 minutes, terminating at 15:45.


Just south of the oiled zone, past the rock or gravel area, no oil was encountered until
the diver approached the beach.  Just below and in the lower beach swash zone, continuous
buried oil was present just beneath the sand.  The dimensions of this area could not be
determined.  This oil was not collected.  No surveys or oil removal were conducted beyond
500 feet to the south of the original point where the divers began working.  Thus, the
remaining area, roughly 2000 ft. long, where submerged oil was reported south to the end
of JULSRA was not investigated or removed by the divers.


After removing the 300-400 foot band, divers moved a short distance to the north where
shoreline assessment teams documented a submerged oil mat on 10 August.  Divers began
removing this oil at 15:50 and were still working at 16:50 when observations by the NOAA
SST ended.  Divers at this time reported they were finding "more and more oil" in the
area.  The portion of the oil mat visible from the beach was no longer present at this
time, and divers were finding oil around this area which may have been buried.  this was
not confirmed due to limited communications.  For a span of roughly 50 yards north of the
oiled mat, a recreational beach user was walking in the nearshore trough and reported
seeing and stepping on "thick oil patties".


The USCG plan was to terminate diver operations by 17:50.  No submerged oil surveys or
removal was planned for 12-13 August.  It is not known if submerged oil surveys or removal
by divers is planned for Monday, 14 August.


Natural resource concerns associated with the nearshore submerged oil may include the
following: sea turtles and recreational fish nursery areas.  Adult sea turtles are still
nesting and inter-nesting in the area, and are likely concentrated in nearshore waters.
Sea turtles could potentially feed on tar on the bottom, mistaking it for prey or forage
items, or could contact oil while feeding along the bottom.  If tarballs are breaking off
the submerged oil bands or mats, rising to the surface or becoming neutrally buoyant,
submerged oil could be a significant source of continued tarball release.  Sea turtles may
mistake tarballs for prey, resulting in direct oil ingestion.  Live crabs in submerged oil
areas with visible tar on them were also reported by the park diver.  Oiled crabs and
other prey could also be ingested by turtles. Also, if large amounts of submerged oil were
re-mobilized and washed onto the beaches, nesting adults and hatchlings could be at
additional risk.  During shoreline assessment surveys, USFWS representatives indicated
that, from their perspective, significant amounts of submerged oil in the nearshore trough
would raise concerns for sea turtles in the area.


Several species of juvenile fish use the turbulent, nearshore breaker zone and associated
swash zone in the lower intertidal as nursery habitat.  Important recreational species
using this include juvenile pompano and kingfish (whiting).  Very shallow nearshore reef
areas also serve as important nursery habitats for fish.  Many of these species, including
pompano and whiting feed on bottom invertebrates such as small crabs, including small blue
crabs and mole crabs which burrow in the swash zone.  Numerous small fish, probably
pompano, were observed in the swash zone and nearshore waters adjacent to submerged oil
areas.  It is possible that juvenile fish could be at risk from contacting oil on the
bottom while feeding or from consuming oiled prey.


Shoreline Oil Observations:

Shoreline Assessment was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Florida.  A
member of the NOAA SST assisted in technical support. This operation was to assess the
beach on newly developed contamination that may have occurred overnight, as well as
assertain that the beaches fell within recommended  concentrations of less than 5% as
described in the IAP.  The survey was to look at the entire 25 mile stretch from John U.
Lyod park to Golden Beach.


 The assessment team found that all the beaches down to Hollywood Beach were at or below
the cleanup endpoints established by the Unified Command, and no further oiling occured
during the night.  However, at Hollywood Beach the team found tar balls within the fine
grain sand at the edge of the rising tide water in position LAT 26/00.66 N. LON 080/06.92
W. This position corresponds to the location of the intersection of Harrison St. and
Hollywood Beach. Further cleanup was directed by the Team Leader P.O. Judy Berlinga, USCG
whom had at her disposal a two man team cleanup contractor for small localized
contamination.  During the cleanup, more oil was observed under the sand and leading under
the water. The Approximate boudaries extend 20 yds along the lateral axis of the beach
face and six yards perpendicular to the beach face.  This large oil mat appeared to be
approximately one inch thick.  The two man cleanup crew picked up as much oil as they
could carry in thier ATV then secured the area with orange cones.  The Hollywood Beach
Police patrol was notified of the hazard by the Team Leader.

 The Shoreline Team then departed and secured from all activities due to a Thunderstorm.

Park managers at JULSRA investigated wrack areas this morning and found newly deposited
wrack mixed with tarballs.  Wrack lines in front of nearly all turtle nests from the
concession area south to the end of the park were investigated by NOAA.  Tarballs were
mixed in the wrack, but not at levels that would trigger additional cleanup at this time.
New tarballs, mostly 1-2 inches in diameter (3 inch maximum) were also washing up on the
beaches below the wrack line.  Coverage was mainly trace, although short segments of beach
had trace to sporadic coverage.  Turtle monitoring volunteers are raking a roughly 10-12
foot wide area clear of wrack in front of turtle nests.  Nests are also being caged and
after hatching the young are being carried by volunteers to the water's edge and released.
It is thought that these activities should be sufficient to prevent hatchlings from
contacting tarballs in the wrack line and on the beaches, assuming enough volunteers are
available and tarball abundance does remains similar or less than that observed today.


Hollywood Beach Municipality had their beaches mechanically raked, to gather the oiled
wrack for incineration.  This wrack removal, if effective should acheive cleanup endpoints
for this beach except in areas of new oiling or newly discovered burried oil.


NOAA Activities: 8/11/00
NOAA participated in more shoreline assessment activities in the field along with Coast
Guard and FLDEP.  NOAA coordinated a planning meeting to develop the diving operations and
worked with response contractors and the diving company to get this operation in action.
The NOAA Scientific Support Team monitored the diving operations from the shore throughout
the afternoon.  The SSC met with the John U. Lloyd Park manager to discuss concerns.  The
Park manager stated he was content with what was being done with the oiled wrak on the
beach, but that the offshore oil was a concern.  NOAA is providing him with the tarball
fact sheet to be used to give to park visitors.  NOAA also suggested that the park post
advisories for tarballs, advise the public to watch for them and avoid stepping on them or
handling or walking on the wrak.  Additionally it was advised that the park set up some
cleaning stations where visitors could have access to towels, soap and water and baby oil
or other similar agent to help remove tarball staind from any park visitors who come in
contact with the oil.


The NOAA Scientific Support Team met with FLDEP to discuss current outstanding concerns
and to review recommendations to the Unified Command for addressing these concerns.  NOAA
DAC demobilized as well as the NOAA Scientific Support Team except for the SSC.


NOAA Planned Activities: 8/12/00
The SSC will meet with FLDEP in the morning following a snorkel survey being conducted
along John U. Lloyd State Park.  The State and NOAA SSC will review current concerns and
response recommendations to be presented and discussed with the Unified Command.


Recommendations:
1)Complete the near shore diving investigation off of the southern end of John U. Lloyd
Park as specified in the August 11, 2000 Incident Action Plan.


Public reports were noted by the Assessment Team of unconfirmed submerged oiling offshore
Hollywood Beach on or near the Sand Bar.  There was evidence of heavly oiled swimming
masks and sunglasses that had been picked up to make these reports an issue of concern. A
thourough intensive survey of the entire impact area is not feasible or recommended, but
in areas along John U. Lloyd State Park and south through Hollywood Beach where the
highest incident of shoreline oiling, burried oil, and submerged offshore oil are
occuring, it is advisable to more closely survey the nearshore for additional submerged
oil.  This could be accomplished with snorelers from the beach.


2)Continue cleanup as needed on Hollywood Beach at the Harrison Street Intersection
(Lat./Long. 26/00.66N 80/06.92W). Manual cleanup to less than 5% criteria.


Concerns:
As noted in the above paragraph, there is an high level of concern of reported offshore
submerged oil.  These range in several different sizes and thickness and are distributed
unevenly along the beaches from John U. Lyod Park to Hollywood Beach.  Migration to shore
would need energy.  The observed oil appears stable, but a significant weather event such
as a storm, could produce a significant impact along these beaches.  It is possible that
slow migration to shore may occur by the energy produced in the tidal cycle and continue
to re-oil beaches with tarballs, mats and patties that could be burried.   Although it is
unlikely that the oil could climb the beach front above the mean high tide, in areas of
Turtle Nesting, fresh oil could pose a significant problem during nocturnal hatchings.  If
there is a significant amount of submerged oil offshore, impacts could continue for a
considerable amount of time and continue to pose substantial risk to sea turtle hatchlings
and turtles swimming in the nearshore.  The State is concerned about this nearshore
submerged oil and it's potential for harm to local wildlife and recommends additional
surveys off John U. Lloyd State Park and to the south through Hollywood Beach and oil
removal if appropriate.


If additional oil is deposited or buried on local beaches above the cleanup endpoint of 5%
cover, or large removable patties and tarballs discovered under the sand, the state
recommends additional oil removal by response contractors.



NOAA Personnel On-Scene:
NOAA SSC:  
Brad Benggio  cel 206-849-9923, pager 1-800-759-8888; pin 5798823

NOAA Assistant SSC:
LT.  Richard Wingrove pager 1-800-759-8888 pin 5798820

NOAA SSC:
LT Jason Maddox - demobilized but still locally available