
Tony D'eramo, Emerald Coast Surfrider board member and marine biologist takes water samples on July 10. Photo courtesy Michael Sturdivant
Organization hopes to enlighten on water health, seeks public support
With concerns of the oil and dispersant’s effects reaching the Florida Panhandle shores, both surfers and beach goers are anxious to know if it is safe to enter the Gulf of Mexico.
Local surfing organization, Emerald Coast Surfrider Foundation started going the extra mile on July 10 to acquire a specific testing called DOS (details below).
The DOS test checks for the chemical compounds present in dispersant and can serve as an indicator of its presence. As of yet, no federal Environmental Protection Agency tests for DOS have been reported for Florida.
“We want to surf and know if the water is safe,” Michael Sturdivant said as he explained the motivation behind Surfrider to use the organization’s limited funds to do this specific testing.
“The earlier tests for dispersants had been looking for alcohol and ethanol associated with dispersants but according to the labs we spoke with, these would rarely show in any test as they evaporate very quickly” Mike said in referring to the EPA’s tests.
“I am not completely certain that these tests will be more accurate, but with multiple reports of illness in our surfing community, we must move forward and at least try to provide this vital health information. We asked the DEP, state, and county to do this over a month ago and they have been very slow to respond,” Sturdivant said.
Surfrider took samples from Okaloosa Island Pier, Miramar Beach at Pompano Joes, Blue Mountain Beach and Seaside on July 10. It takes two weeks for the results.
“We would like to test for other substances like oil, vanadium, benzene, and others, but our budget is very small, Sturdivant continued.
Each test cost $350.00, and with four tests in one day, Emerald Coast Surfrider will soon deplete their organization’s funds, and are seeking contributions to help offset the costs of the tests.
Emerald Coast Surfrider is a local non-profit organization and is funded entirely by donations. Anyone interested in helping out can contact Surfrider at http://www.surfrideremeraldcoast.org/
Links to local water testing results from EPA and DEP:
http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/water.html
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/water.htm#walton
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Posted under Environment, paddle/surf/boat