Exxon Apologizes for Spill; Captain Plans to Give Up : Giving ‘Full Attention,’ Firm Says

Exxon today apologized for the nation’s worst oil spill, and authorities said the captain of the oil company’s tanker has taken steps to surrender to face charges of being drunk when the vessel ran aground.

“I want to tell you how sorry I am that this accident took place,” Exxon Chairman L. G. Rawl said in full-page advertisements placed in some U.S. newspapers.

“We cannot, of course, undo what has been done. But I can assure you that since March 24, the accident has been receiving our full attention and will continue to do so.”

The Exxon Valdez rammed a reef on that day, spilling 10 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. Its captain, Joseph Hazelwood, admitted drinking before boarding the ship, according to court documents. Blood and urine samples taken nearly 10 hours after the accident indicated that Hazelwood was drunk.

Exxon has fired Hazelwood. An arrest warrant has been issued in Alaska for him, but his whereabouts were unknown Sunday.

Surrender Possible

There were indications that the Huntington, N.Y., resident had contacted an attorney and that a surrender might be worked out, said Sgt. Clifton Smith of the New York state police.

Court documents filed with the arrest warrant say Hazelwood admitted drinking before boarding the ship and when asked what the problem was after it had run aground, replied, “I think you’re looking at it.”

The ship was under the command of an uncertified third mate when it struck the reef. Hazelwood has been charged with operating a ship while under the influence of alcohol, reckless endangerment and negligent discharge of oil.

The oil slick has turned to a swirling ugly brown glop on the brilliant blue sound and has grown to more than 1,000 square miles--bigger than the state of Rhode Island. It was moving primarily to the southwest toward salmon fisheries, the fish-rich Seward area and Kenai Fjords National Park.

State officials said today that the oil is due south of Seward and less than 10 miles from Kenai Fjords National Park. It did not appear to be traveling north, however, and Seward might be spared a major slick.

Top of Food Chain

Scientists and fishermen brought in oil-smeared otters in airline dog cages and boxes hurriedly hammered together from plywood and chicken wire. A refrigerated trailer truck served as a morgue for dead otters and birds.

Department of Fish and Game spokesman Jon Lyman said today that a deer found dead on Naked Island about 25 miles southwest of the tanker had apparently eaten contaminated food, an indication of how rapidly the spill is spreading. “That’s bad news. That’s the top of the food chain,” Lyman said.

The Coast Guard said deliveries of North Slope crude oil will be allowed to return to near-normal once the tanker is relieved of its remaining load, probably by Tuesday morning.

A Soviet skimmer ship was en route to see what can be done with the oil in the sound.

A six-person team of Norwegian oil-spill experts arrived Sunday to help clean up the beaches and save oil-soaked animals.