GULF SHORES, Ala. (WPMI) Officials are urging people to report possible tar balls if they see them. Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said the National Response Center gives cleanup priority to public reports.
Cleanup efforts in the area may depend on how often residents call in.
Head down to the beach and you'll notice a much wider playground. Since October, the city has been dredging and pumping new beach. Now they want you to keep an eye on it.
"This time of year and as we get into spring and summer vacation season, when there are more people down here, that's just a bunch of more sets of eyes," said Grant Brown with the city of Gulf Shores.
Tar balls still wash up and BP cleanup crews only respond to accurate reporting when tar balls are found.
"If it's not accurately reported through the National Response Center, then it's not getting recorded. As they start looking at the frequency of the clean up efforts, then we could have a change in the frequency of the cleaning up," said Brown.
City officials are asking folks to call the National Response Center's hot line at 1-800-424-8802.
"I mean we need to be aware of our environment and is something is messed up with it. I've been coming here for 45 to 50 years now," said Linda Dees who lives in Spanish Fort.
BP has scaled back operations but promises to respond to any reports of oil on the beach. The city wants to take one step further.
"If they have the right information and can make that phone call for us, that helps everybody. It helps the process, the clean up crews and the city in general," said Brown.
"This is Gods nature and we need to report if there's anything that's unnatural that's here that need to be cleaned up," said Dees.
Rental management companies will begin to ask visitors to help out too.
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