The Coastal Health District has issued a precautionary beach water advisory in connection with the Saint Simons Sound Golden Ray Incident, with the following information:
As the cutting operations continue on the capsized motor vehicle carrier Golden Ray, occasional discharges of oil are occurring. Some of the oil is reaching the coastline in small, sticky globules and may be encountered. Responders with the St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command are working to contain any pollutants and remove any oily substances that reach the shore.
JIA Conservation staff have been in daily communication with the Unified Command on any impact on Jekyll Island's beaches. At this time, all concentrations of oil globules reported on Jekyll Island's beaches have been addressed by the Unified Command's environmental cleanup crews, and the number of personal assisting with the cleanup on Jekyll has increased in recent days.
The amount of oil globules associated with this week's event has been substantially less than the oil washup that occurred in October 2019.
The Unified Command and JIA Conservation personnel will continue extensive daily monitoring of beaches and any additional oil concerns will be promptly addressed through the weekend and beyond.
As a reminder, the public is advised to remain alert for oil in the water or the sand. If you step on a tarball or get oil on your skin, wash off the oil with soap and clean water. There is no need to use harsh detergents, solvents, or other chemicals to wash oil from skin or clothing.
If you see a sheen of oil on the surface of the water, do not swim or fish in the area and report the sheen to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
No beaches have been closed.
For additional information on the incident response, you can monitor the response website: www.ssiresponse.com.
