Approximately 550 gallons of sand/oil mix were collected from McFaddin Beach on Monday. The tarballs and patties ranged from baseball sized to 5 by 5-foot mats and were confirmed as a positive match by both the BP contracted lab in Houma, La., as well as the USCG Marine Safety Lab.
To date, approximately 20 gallons of tarballs have been collected from the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island, which also tested negative. More suspected oil product mixed with vegetation was reported and removed from Galveston Beach, High Island Beach and Crystal Beach Thursday evening and is awaiting analysis.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Richard Brahm says more testing will be done to try to find out where the tar balls came from. He says it may be from another leak or naturally occurring seepages from the seabed.
The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and the City of Galveston will continue patrols to find and clean up tarballs pending weather conditions. A command post has also been established. All Galveston beaches and Southeast Texas waterways remain open.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will do no harm. However, some people are especially sensitive to chemicals, including the hydrocarbons found in crude oil and petroleum products. In general, NOAA recommends that if oil contact occurs, the area be washed with soap and water, baby oil or another safe cleaning compound.
The public can report an oil spill or tar ball sighting by calling the Texas General Land Office at 1-800-832-8224 or the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
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