Basic training sessions for volunteers are being set up at community colleges along the Coast for this week, but federal regulations bar the offering of more in-depth training that volunteers would need for handling birds and oil, according to a BP official. Specific times and dates of training will be passed along.
Meantime, emergency managers are encouraging residents not to attempt to help any oiled birds and to stay away from the sand beach.
It is unsafe for humans to come into contact with crude oil and larger shorebirds have the potential to inflect damage.
Health Q&A: The slight odor of petroleum that became evident to many Biloxians this morning does not pose a medical risk, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.
It can, however, be an irritant.
Some people are far more sensitive to odors and any changes in air quality and may experience nausea, vomiting or headaches.
If you have these symptoms, you should consider staying indoors, ventilating your home with air conditioning and avoiding strenuous outdoor activity.
To see an answers to frequently asked questions, click here.
To see the latest air quality report — courtesy of a web site sponsored by the EPA, NOAA and state and other federal agencies — click here.
The latest on booms, marine traffic
Closed: NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of 10 days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure, which does not include the non-federal Mississippi Sound, is effective immediately. For details, click here.
From David Staehling, the city’s director of administration:
Booming operations: Protective booms will be placed on a priority basis: Priority one is evironmentally sensitive areas, such as estuaries and marshes; priority two, shoreline; priority three, marinas and harbors.
Decontamination: Decontamination sites for marine vessels will be established at points along the coastline.
Marine traffic: Special marine transportation routes will be established so that vessels may navigate without disturbing mitigation efforts.
Other news and notes
Info portal: Link to the Deepwater Horizon Response web site, click here.
Oiled wildlife: To report oiled wildlife, call 1-866-557-1401 and leave a message. Messages will be checked hourly.
Dolphins, sea turtles: To report stranded dolphins or sea turtles, call (888) 767-3657.
Property damage: To report damage caused by oil contact call 1-800-440-0858.
