On April 20, 2010, on a calm and sunny and normal day in the Gulf of Mexico, a violent explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, killing 11 workers and leaving a gushing oil leak that would not be sealed for three months.
The spill unleashed nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf before it was capped on July 15, causing environmental and economic damage that is still reverberating along the Gulf Coast -- particularly through the coastal wetlands of Louisiana -- and it probably will for years to come.
Reports of tar balls along the beaches of the Panhandle turned visitors away from Northwest Florida at the height of its busiest tourist season. The area was just beginning to rebound from the deep economic recession when the spill delivered its sucker-punch. A Florida TaxWatch analysis released in December showed that retailers alone in Northwest Florida missed out on $454 million in sales because of the crisis.
With that backdrop, Gov. Rick Scott and the rest of the Cabinet traveled to the region Tuesday for a two-day trip to showcase its remarkable recovery one year on from the spill.
Scott visited businesses in Panama City Tuesday and presided over a Cabinet meeting there before embarking on a fishing trip from the Panama City marina.
Businesses in the area got a boost last week when Scott announced that BP, the oil company responsible for the spill, will give $30 million to help Northwest Floridas tourism industry. Local economic development officials on hand for the announcement said that tourists are starting to come back, but the money from BP, which will be put toward marketing, will help solidify the recovery.
For Florida businesses, economic recovery will stem from overcoming the perception of the oil spills effect on the beaches that entice tourists. The tar balls are long gone, but the oil spill remains in the consciousness of potential visitors. Businesses there say the marketing money is needed because most of their advertising funds were spent combating the bad press from the spill.
When our members began to experience immediate and unprecedented cancellations heading into their peak season -- Memorial Day -- our advertising campaign proved critical to our economic survival, said Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association President Carol Dover.
Dover said that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Northwest Floridas hospitality industry hauls in 70 percent of its income for the year.
We did not wait for marketing dollars to be allocated through (BP) during the first 30 to 60 days of the crisis. We held press conferences, tourism industry briefings, developed and aired radio ads and newspaper ads, and gave countless media interviews around the globe to let people know that our beaches are beautiful and Florida is open for business, Dover said.
BP has also pledged $20 million to support Floridas seafood industry, which was greatly impacted by the spill -- even, as it was, 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Half will go to testing specimens for remnants of the oil spill, with the other half allocated for marketing the Sunshine States catch.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam boasted Monday that of the 230 samples tested by the Division of Food Safety, less than 11 percent contained traces of oil contaminants, and the amounts found were microscopic compared to the federal Food and Drug Administrations level of concern.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is aggressively testing Florida seafood to ensure it is safe to eat. Our findings show that Florida seafood is safe and plentiful. I encourage consumers to put Florida seafood back on their plates and back in their diet, Putnam said.
In total, BP has promised to give Florida $82 million for tourism and seafood marketing, most of which was secured by former Gov. Charlie Crist. Additionally, as of Monday, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the federal program funded by BP at $20 billion, had paid out more than $1.5 billion in indivdual and business claims in Florida.
Despite highlighting the plight of Floridas Gulf Coast with his trip, Scott has been reticent about engaging in litigation to garner more money for victims of the spill. Attorney General Pam Bondi has indicated Florida will not join other states in a lawsuit against Transocean, the company operating the oil rig at the time of the explosion. The deadline to join that suit is Wednesday, but Scott has left the door open to file a claim against BP later in the year.
In Northwest Florida, business leaders will be more focused on tourism trends one year after the spill than on any potential claim filed by the state.
The impact of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill will be felt for generations to come. These next few months, heading into Northwest Floridas peak tourism season, will be closely monitored to determine if tourists will come back to the Sunshine State in large or small numbers, Dover said.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
