Tar balls found on Mississippi, barrier islands beaches - Pass Christian - SunHerald.com

Tar balls found on Mississippi, barrier islands beaches - Pass Christian - SunHerald.com:
By GEOFF PENDER - and MICHAEL NEWSOM

BILOXI — The first bits of “tar balls” from the Gulf oil spill have begun washing ashore in Mississippi and on its barrier islands. But they are small, few and far between and appear to be from the offshore burning aimed at getting rid of the spill, officials told the Sun Herald.

“(On Wednesday) they found some small tar balls that were widely dispersed on West Ship Island, Horn Island and on the beach near Pass Christian,” said Dan Turner, spokesman for Gov. Haley Barbour. “(Thursday) in Long beach area there were some very small tar balls.”

Coast Guard Capt. Steven Poulin said today tar balls and “tar patties” had been found on Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores in Alabama and Perdido Key in Florida."

Tar balls were also found Saturday at Dauphin Island off the Alabama Coast. To the west, tar balls have been found in Louisiana this week, including some at South Pass in Plaquemines Parish. Off the coast of Terrebonne Parish, tar balls were reported at Whiskey Island and some oily residue was found at Raccoon Island. As of Thursday afternoon no oil had been found west of Terrebonne Parish, according to the Associated Press.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/05/12/2179887/tar-balls-found-on-mississippi.html#ixzz0nsM2Jhhv