By State Rep. Ken Paxton
Texas Insider Report: McKINNEY Texas Last week Governor Rick Perry announced that Texas is prepared to respond to any effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill along the Texas coast. Fortunately Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has equipped and trained his staff in preparation for a potential spill off the Texas coast.
The Office of the Governor participates in daily conference calls with the White House Coast Guard Department of Homeland Security National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and gulf state governors.
Texas General Land Office (GLO) has five coastal offices equipped with boats 4x4 trucks trailers ATVs and skimmers available for response activities. Silt curtains may be deployed to protect washouts.
The State Operations Center has remained at an increased readiness level and the State continues to work with federal and local authorities to track the spill and prepare contingency plans.
Any oil reaching Texas shores is expected to be in the form of weathered tar balls which are naturally occurring on the Texas Gulf Coast during the summer
months according the information from the
General Land Office and Coast Guard.
The
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has activated 12 Mobile Response Spill Assessment Teams capable of conducting air monitoring and collecting sediment and water samples. TCEQ also has staff available to advise on waste disposal and provide training in shoreline clean-up techniques.
The
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service NOAA TCEQ and GLO to provide any assistance necessary. TPWD has also formed an internal oil spill response team and is conducting weekly conference calls with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Texas Sea Grant College Program and commercial fisheries.
No fisheries have been closed along the Texas coast due to the oil spill. TDA is working with grocery stores to promote consumer awareness that both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Texas Department of State Health Services have affirmed the health and safety of Texas seafood and shrimp.
The Oil Spill Prevention and Response Division of the General Land Office was created in 1991 to prevent oil spills and to ensure platforms pipeline operators vessels and refineries have contingency plans in place to respond to spills.
Division personnel audit and inspect over 625 facilities that store transport or refine petroleum products along the Texas coast to check for compliance with applicable regulations. The Division also maintains records on over 18000 vessels that operate in state water to ensure they have operational guidelines
and procedures in place to deal with oil spills.
Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Houston-Galveston Port Arthur Corpus Christi and the GLO will continue regular communication to coordinate activities on the federal state and local level.
Texas beaches remain open for summer recreation and business. For more information please visit www.traveltex.com.
