Texas Prepares for Oil Spill Uncertainty

GALVESTON, Texas - Tuesday marks the start of a very unusual hurricane season. With an active season predicted and an oil spill in the gulf, local, state and federal first responders are already preparing for a first of its' kind emergency.

On Bolivar Island, coast guard crews installed a white plastic "pom pom" netting along five pushout areas in an effort to protect wildlife and keep oil out of Texas marshes.

"We have no indication it's coming our way," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Emmett, along with the county judges from Galveston and Brazoria counties, and representatives from the Port of Houston, Texas General Land Office, and Coast Guard announced an activated plan to protect area beaches from an oil-related damage.

"We are preparing here in Texas. We are prepared," said Captain Marcus Woodring, Sector Commander for the Houston-Galveston Coast Guard office. "We do have the advantage of having time on our side. It's not like a no notice event that just simply occurred. It is occurring. We have time to plan"

While there is no immediate threat to the Texas coast, oil has hit more than 125 miles of Louisiana’s shoreline.

In Texas, a dozen tar balls have washed up between Sabine Pass and Matagorda, another three on Bolivar.

None have been connected to the deep water horizon disaster.

"Tarballs have been on the beaches of Texas since before there was drilling offshore," said Woodring.

But as hurricane season kicks off, emergency responders aren't taking chances. Never in history has a hurricane interacted with an oil slick like the one in the gulf.

While experts seem to think the oil won't affect the formation of a storm, no one really knows how the storm could affect the oil and the coast.