Boom containment critical to Eglin's waterways

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Eglin's using reverse psychology to protect its waterways from possible contamination.

Bruce Stippich, the 96th Civil Engineer Group's environmental compliance expert has been a busy man since an oil well ruptured in the Gulf of Mexico April 20. The Deepwater Horizon disaster has Mr. Stippich and a crew of volunteers scrambling to protect the waterways surrounding the base. Normally, his job is to ensure any oil spill that occurs within the base is contained from fouling the shoreline. Now, he's keeping the oil out.

"If we're the 'spillers,' our geographic response plan protects the public," Mr. Stippich said. "Now, it's the same booming style done in reverse to protect our natural resources."

Currently, a response team has placed close to 2,000 feet of 18-inch boom at Jacks Lake, Post'l Lake and Bruce's Cove. If there's a threat of oil entering Choctawhatchee Bay, another 2,500' of boom will be deployed at Ben's Lake Marina, Bear Creek Marina, Weekly Bayou, Post'l Point Swimming area and Camp Robin Swimming area.

Volunteers make up the emergency spill response teams for containment boom deployment. Each volunteer needs to have Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard, or HAZWOPER, training and know how to pull boom. Personnel from Environmental Compliance, Eglin Fire Department, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Bio-Environmental have joined in helping secure Eglin's shoreline. Boats from the 96th Force Support Squadron are being used in response to the team's needs.

According to Tom Ryan, assistant chief, training and education officer for the fire department, firefighters have hazmat training which qualifies them to respond to spills that might happen on a daily basis like those caused by car accidents or leaks.

"The game plan is to dispatch an engine from Fire Station One and our firefighters will get on the boats and deploy additional booms if needed," Mr. Ryan said. "That way we have response coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

For the time being, the booms are staying in place. There's no plan to move them since they are in non-navigable waterways.

"So far, so good; we haven't seen any oil," Mr. Stippich said. "We managed to withstand the possible tropical storm last weekend and will continue to check the booms weekly while there's a threat of oil coming our way," Mr. Stippich said