Hurlburt Field stands up Oil Spill Task Force, information webpage

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Katherine Grabham
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Officials here have established an Oil Spill Task Force to discuss the potential impact of oil entering the Intercoastal Waterway following the explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig April 20.

Additionally, the base established an oil spill response information webpage, which will be continuously updated with the latest information on base, local and regional effects, response and planning, as well as health and safety information and federally-sponsored volunteer opportunities. The webpage is located at: http://www.hurlburt.af.mil/oilspillinformation/index.asp.

No oil has reached the base; however, Hurlburt leadership is working to ensure the base's 12,000 feet of shoreline are protected and to mitigate any threat to the environment.

"Our No. 1 priority is to protect the shore adjacent to base housing and our environmentally sensitive areas," said Traci Dewar, deputy base civil engineer. "We have a boom placement plan in place to protect those areas."

The 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron also collected water and soil samples from five sites along the shoreline. These samples will be used to set baseline conditions and assist the engineers in monitoring the areas for any potential contamination, Ms. Dewar said.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is officially the state's lead agency for responding to potential impact of the oil spill along Florida's shoreline. They continue to work closely with British Petroleum and the U.S. Coast Guard as part of a multi-agency response team.

"As yet, there has been no impact to our mission at Hurlburt Field," said Col. Michael Plehn, 1st Special Operations Wing commander, "but we continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with outside agencies so we are ready to respond rapidly if the conditions warrant."

Air Commandos are no strangers to operating in joint environments and adapting to meet mission requirements during times of crisis.

As news agencies continue to portray Gulf Coast residents and business owners resolutely protecting their homes and livelihoods, the sentiment is firmly shared by leaders here.

"We hope for a quick resolution to the problems, and we stand prepared to help mitigate the effects to our environment along the Gulf Coast," Colonel Plehn said.