It’s Day 53 of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s a roundup of links to the latest news affecting travelers:
- The glow of a controlled burn on the oil slick could be seen off Pensacola-area beaches today, the Pensacola News-Journal says. The Coast Guard is considering burning off some of the oil in a new plume discovered late Thursday 12 miles off the Perdido Pass.
- The Miami Herald reports that Coast Guard skimmers were working Thursday in the Pensacola Pass, as oil makes its way into the Western Panhandle waterway.
- BP has agreed to give Florida $25 million to support the state’s contigency plan in dealing with the oil spill disaster. The company signed the agreement with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday, according to WTVT.
- Will Florida have to start closing beaches? That’s the question Bloomberg asked a number of state and local officials, who described that move as a last resort.
For now, the contrast of workers and tourists on the beaches makes for an unusual scene. “Why are there people in hazmat suits and we are in our bikinis?” said Pensacola Beach visitor Emily Boswell.
[Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]