Kelli M. Dugan

Staff Writer

Daphne Bulletin

DAPHNE, Ala. — Daphne residents concerned about the impact of the oil spill on the city’s economy and environment will have a captive audience for their questions Tuesday night during a community information meeting at City Hall.

Mary Lee Montgomery with BP PLC’s Community Outreach program said the meeting was requested by city leaders to educate the public about the oil company’s response to date regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as well as to answer any questions residents might have regarding public safety, claims and environmental impact.

“I don’t think there’s been a lot of direct economic impact for the city of Daphne, but I do imagine there will be questions about what’s going on now with the capping of the well and questions about the environment,” Montgomery said.

The meeting, slated for 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers, will feature representatives from BP, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, city of Daphne and other agencies involved with the spill response and recovery.

“It’s just an opportunity for the citizens of Daphne to ask questions directly to members of the Unified Command,” Montgomery said.

The assembled experts and responders will brief the crowd on the roles they have played to date in addressing the spill before opening the floor to questions from the crowd.

“They’re pretty much open to any questions there are,” Montgomery said.

Any resident unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting can call the Unified Command in Mobile at (251) 445-8965 at any time to have their questions fielded, she said.

To date, the community outreach program has hosted informational meetings with residents of Ono Island as well as the property owners’ associations of Point Clear and Weeks Bay. Plans are being finalized for a month’s-end expo at the convention center in Orange Beach, similar to one held several weeks ago on Dauphin Island, that will allow residents from across Baldwin County to “come in at their leisure and ask questions directly” of the experts assembled.

Montgomery said the two-day event will offer booths manned by representatives from all of the agencies involved with the cleanup and recovery process as well as experts on the claims process, the vessels of opportunity program, mental health and community outreach.

“It’s a chance to get real face time, not a lecture from a distance, but real person right in front of you,” Montgomery said.