Reported spill in Apollo Beach was harmless

A good Samaritan in Apollo Beach called authorities to report a potential oil spill Sunday night.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies and the U.S. Coast Guard responded. One resident said the entrance to Apollo Beach Nature Park at the end of Surfside Blvd., as well as a portion of the beach on Tampa Bay, were closed.

The area is directly across a small inlet from the Tampa Electric Co. Big Bend power plant.

But the incident turned out to be a false alarm.

The oily stuff was apparently  "a naturally occurring organic substance," according to a Coast Guard spokesman.

He didn't know exactly what that meant, but said it wasn't a threat to humans or animals and would probably be allowed to naturally dissipate.

    - Jan Wesner, Times Staff Writer