2010 Gulf Oil Spill
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (called the "Gulf oil spill"), the entrance to Pensacola Pass was intended to be closed, with a floating barrier system in June 2010, to control tidal flow of oil entering from the Gulf of Mexico. The daily high tide was causing oil-contaminated water to enter Pensacola Bay. The barrier system is designed to allow boats to travel through Pensacola Pass, during the outflowing tide, but to close during the rising tide.
Although this was the initial plan, the booming plan was never carried out. The Pass was only boomed for a day due to strong currents, the boom broke. No other plan was in place in areas of less current nor was their a plan to trap incoming oil, therefore oil product freely entered the pass.
Read more about this topic: Pensacola Bay
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