Louisiana closes beaches:

Alarm in Florida due to oil spill

US: Louisiana state, US has been forced to close beaches and authorities in South Florida are taking contingency measures as the oil slick from the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon rig reaches its coastline.

Meanwhile, BP technical directors have warned the company has put off a new effort to try to stop the massive oil spill at least till Tuesday . Technicians hope that by shooting heavy drilling mud into the well, a process known as “top kill”, they will stop the flow.

In Grand Isle, Louisiana, officials closed the public beach Friday as thick gobs of oil resembling melted chocolate washed up the shore. Up to now, only tar balls and a light sheen had come ashore.

But oil was starting to hit the beach at this island resort community in various forms, said Chris Roberts, a local official who was quoted by the local media. BP was leasing the Deepwater Horizon rig when it exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and triggering the massive spill. The company conceded Thursday what some scientists have been saying for weeks, that more oil is flowing from the leak than BP and the Coast Guard had previously estimated.

In South Florida Mayors from coastal towns along the state’s roughly 2,016 kilometers (1,260 miles) long coastline held an emergency meeting to discuss and agree on contingency measures to protect their shores from the drifting oil slick that could severely damage tourism, the main industry of the region.

Florida Governor Charles Crist extended a state of emergency to include Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.

Florida’s coastline remain untouched by the massive oil spill, but South Florida coastal communities continued their containment and cleanup preparations.

Washington, Prensa Latina