I thought this would be of interest to our group.
Pat
BearlyBear at aol.com

<< Subj: Oil-Coated Birds Reported in Oregon
Date: 2/9/99 3:04:55 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: AOL News
BCC: BearlyBear

Oil-Coated Birds Reported in Oregon

.c The Associated Press

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- Pounding surf has breached fuel tanks on a cargo ship
that ran aground last week, putting a scenic stretch of Oregon coast in danger
of being tainted by thousands of gallons of oil.

Oil-covered birds were spotted Monday, the first since the fuel began leaking
from the 639-foot New Carissa.

The ship, owned by a Japanese firm, registered in Panama and staffed with a
crew of 23, ran aground Thursday about 150 yards offshore in a prime crab-
fishing area. The crew was removed by the Coast Guard the following day.

It has not been determined why the ship washed ashore, though local pilots
have speculated it had insufficient power to overcome strong winds and
currents as it waited to enter Coos Bay to pick up a cargo of wood chips.

The Coast Guard has closed beaches in the area around Coos Bay, 215 miles
southwest of Portland.

Authorities also have mustered more than 200 workers to shovel up congealed
bunker fuel that has washed ashore as far as five miles north of where the
ship is mired in the surf.

A Coast Guard inspection team boarded the ship Monday looking for the source
of the leak, which apparently is coming from some of the ship's five fuel
tanks, which hold 359,000 gallons of bunker fuel and 37,400 gallons of diesel.

``They found water inside the tanks, which means there is a significant
leak,'' said Chief Petty Officer Gene Maestes said Monday.

Officials have already recovered at least three oil-covered birds. Crews
equipped to deal with oiled wildlife were standing by in case the slick
threatens the habitat of Western snowy plovers, a threatened shore bird.
>>

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