The Coast Guard officer in charge of oil-fighting along Florida’s west coast sent more than a mile of boom material last month to Louisiana.
That might sound strange coming from Capt. Timothy Close, who says he is “aggressively preparing” to protect the Tampa Bay area from the massive gulf oil spill. But it also defines the state of the war against oil here.
The Coast Guard, state officials and emergency management directors are talking daily in conference calls, looking for oil and readying their plans for boats, booms and coastal cleanups. But so far, the oil has not arrived.
Tampa Bay area officials generally express optimism about their preparations, but it’s too early to know for sure if the area would suffer from the poor planning, lack of coordination and bad communication that several local officials complained of in Louisiana and Alabama.
As experts and regular folks keep their eyes out for oil on Florida’s west coast, a pressing question remains: Will the Tampa Bay area be ready?