Gulf of Mexico oil spill threatens Florida coast

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO and SUZETTE LABOY

MIAMI, Fla.

Florida officials, residents and hoteliers were keeping a watchful eye Friday on a looming oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico expected to reach the state's northern shores by Monday.

Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay and Gulf Counties, saying the 600-square-mile oil slick is moving in a northerly direction and expanding.

"Oil continues to spill from the well and efforts to stop the discharge have failed and may not succeed for an extended period of time," Crist wrote in the executive order.

More than 200,000 gallons of oil are leaking per day from the well, which exploded on April 20 near Louisiana and sank two days later. Heavy winds and high tides have complicated efforts to hold back the spill.

Florida Panhandle counties said they were closely monitoring the situation.

"We're trying to be as prepared as possible," said Sonya Daniel, public information manager for Escambia County, where officials were considering declaring a local state of emergency.

In a letter to federal officials, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said the spill could have a devastating impact on the state's $65 billion tourism economy, environment and fishing industry.

"With the threat to our state's economic well-being, I am imploring the federal government to take every action possible to protect our beaches and our economy," Sink wrote Friday. "This has to be an 'all hands on deck' effort, and continued coordination with Florida is imperative."

Federal officials are investigating the cause of the explosion and President Barack Obama sought to assure Gulf Coast communities Friday that the government is prepared to meet its responsibilities.

The potential environmental effect in Florida was unclear, but one coral reef expert said the oil could get caught up in the Gulf stream and threaten Florida's mangroves and coral reefs.

"We don't have a good prediction, but there is no question that it's conceivable that it could, depending on the wind and where that oil goes, if it gets caught up in the loop current, it can be smeared all along east and west coast of Florida," said Dr. Robert Dodge, Dean of Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center.

Florida has 84 percent of the nation's coral reefs, he said.

Dr. David Palandro, scientific support coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the main concern in Florida was the beaches in the Panhandle and seagrass. There is also a concern about Florida's wildlife, including manatees, sea turtles which their nesting season is coming up, shore birds and horse fish.

The last time they saw an oil disaster of this magnitude was in 1993 in the Tampa Bay.

"I'm hoping we don't face the worst," Palandro said.

Leonid Fazylov, owner of the Ocean Villa Condominiums in Panama City Beach, said he had received calls from worried visitors asking about cancellation policies. He said they will inform travelers if the situation gets worse, but right now the beaches are clean and white.

"Of course I'm concerned. I love this area. Love these beaches," Fazylov said. "But basically the feeling among the local people is pretty much that we should not be concerned."

Others on the Florida beaches also took the oil spill in stride.

On the still pristine coast of Pensacola Beach, bikini-clad Kiley Boster looked out at orange buoys and a boom designed to collect oil that approached an oyster bed and bird sanctuary near the shore.

"I would rather we drill here than spend another 10 years fighting at war and being dependent on oil from other places," she said.

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AP Writer Melissa Nelson in Pensacola contributed to this story.