Okaloosa Island, Florida (CNN) — If you live in Okaloosa County, Florida, or Destin on Florida’s Emerald Coast and wondering who’s going to be calling the shots if black crude oil comes ashore — wonder no more. It won’t be the federal government.
“I think there’s a fundamental flaw in the federal response,” said Dino Villani, the county’s public safety director.
“When you’re down in the trenches trying to respond like we are, it doesn’t work,” he said.
The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously this week to allow their emergency managers to override and overrule federal emergency managers and take on the responsibility of saving the sand and beaches that provide about 50 percent of their economy. Tourist bookings are down about 30 percent this summer, according to local officials.
Full story: Stay out of the way on beach protection, Florida county tells feds – CNN.com
