Panama City - The special $3 million boom, built to protect St. Andrews Bay from the oil spill, is coming down.

Emergency Management Director Mark Bowen recommended its removal this morning, during the Bay County Commission meeting, saying he doesn't feel Bay County is at risk from the types of oil it's designed to catch, commissioners agreed.

The cost to remove the boom will be an estimated $2 million. Commissioners are hoping the Department of Environmental Protection will advance the county to removal cost.

"We are going ahead with the contract to get the boom removed out of the pass and it will be safer. And it was something we had to do to make sure that if it did come we would be prepared and now hopefully everything's over," said Mike Thomas, Bay County Commissioner.

B.P. paid for the construction of the special boom, but there's no word if the company has indicated it will pay for the removal.