Sand Shark digs for oil at Pensy Beach

PENSACOLA BEACH, Florida (WALA) - A new, heavy duty sand-sifting machine dubbed the "Sand Shark" has been working to clean up oil buried in sand on Pensacola Beach.

The machine is digging six inches below the sand's surface, but can go over three times that depth. The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) wants clean-up crews to go deeper.

“If we hit a hot spot, that ’Uh, oh,’ there’s a lot of oil in the sand in this certain area, maybe it’s 20 feet, then we’ll be able to go down and clean it,” said Buck Lee, Executive Director of the SRIA. “That’s all we’re asking for. We’re not asking to go down two feet the whole eight miles of Pensacola Beach, because it probably doesn’t need it."

Lee said BP's contractor, SWS Eagle, hasn't received a go-ahead to go deeper and has been given no reason why. He's concerned that high surf could uncover the old oil and either wash it further inland or pull it back into the Gulf.

About a week ago, rough surf revealed a buried mat of tar three feet wide. Crews arrived in time to pick it up before it slipped into the water. Lee’s afraid that won’t always be the case.

“You don’t want to have all these tropical waves come and then take what is here and is weathered and take it back out into the Gulf, then no telling which beach it will land on then,” added Lee.

The good news is, the water and the beaches are once again oil free and visitors can enjoy the area’s biggest attraction.

Jana Cook and her son were digging sand near the shoreline Wednesday and uncovered a buried mat of seaweed a few inches below the surface. After digging about a foot down, no oil or tar was present there. However, Cook still had some concern.

“I mean, I’m not a scientist, but obviously if it needs to go deeper to get the sand that’s down there, to get the oil out, then we should do it,” Cook said.

Lee has a meeting Thursday afternoon with BP officials and hopes to get a timeline on when the Sand Shark can be used to its full potential. It was not being used on Wednesday due to hydraulic problems, but should be sifting sand again on Thursday morning.