More BP Oil at Little Lagoon Pass

Crews have been working around Little Lagoon Pass for the last couple of weeks. "Every year the department of transportation is required to maintain Little Lagoon pass to have water flowing into the Gulf of Mexico," says city spokesman Grant Brown.

Dredging of the pass is vital according to Brown. "Nearly all the six thousand acres of the state park drain through all the lake system through Little Lagoon and out into the Gulf of Mexico."

Dredging the pass is not uncommon. It's been going on for years but when they started pulling up more than just sand a routine dredging operation turned into something else.

"Early on when they started the dredge operation we did notice some tar balls and chunks from the BP oil spill," says Brown.

Heavy equipment is once again moving back and forth on Gulf Shores beaches making sure only sand is put back back on the beach. Every scoop is sifted. Anything that is not sand is hauled away including tons of oil.

Reports from the last three days of operation show almost 80 thousand pounds of debris removed from the sand. 14 point 7 percent of that is oil or almost 6 tons. "Enough to make sense to go ahead and sift it out and dispose of it," says Brown.

This annual maintenance project for one of the most picturesque spots in Gulf Shores is now the latest step in our coastal recovery.

The project is expected to last through the middle of January. Crews are working seven days a week, weather permitting.