Posted: July 9, 2010 - 12:00am
By JENNIFER EDWARDS
ST. AUGUSTINE -- Tar patties washed ashore on southern St. Johns County beaches Thursday, but officials said they probably aren't related to the oil spill in the Gulf.
Only a few washed ashore, mostly south of Matanzas Avenue and toward Matanzas Inlet, said St. Johns County spokeswoman Karen Pan.
None has been reported north of the St. Augustine Inlet.
All county beaches remained open and the U.S. Coast Guard had clean-up crews out Thursday night.
Pan described the patties as "quite weathered" and said that they no longer contained petroleum, only paraffin or wax.
"It's a fairly common occurrence," that has been seen in the county before, she said.
She said the U.S. Coast Guard is collecting samples for testing, which could take three to five days.
"The quantity is very low and officials do not expect any adverse impact on wildlife," according to a County news release.
Tar balls also washed ashore at Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, about 150 to 160 miles south of St. Johns County, according to the Morris News Service.
It wasn't clear if those were related to the Gulf spill, either; test results are expected in a few days.
A St. Johns County news release blamed 10 consecutive days of offshore wind for driving the tar balls and large amounts of seaweed onshore.
"The County has experienced similar events of tar balls on the beach in the past under similar coastal conditions," it stated.
"The tar patties are not harmful and have had virtually no impact on thousands of people enjoying the beaches" Thursday, according to the release.
However, beachgoers are advised not to touch tar patties if they do see them.
Concerned?
For updates on current beach conditions, call the St. Johns County Beaches hotline at 209-0331.
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