Military Flies In Mass of Equipment to Aid Oil Cleanup

Military jets flew skimmers, booms and beach landing craft into Alaska on Sunday, and federal officials issued a Pacific-wide call for more equipment to fight the nation’s worst oil spill.

Kodiak, the nation’s richest fishing port, prepared for the onslaught of oil by putting out log booms, but the Coast Guard said the leading edge of the spill, 60 miles away, retreated a bit and began breaking up into tar balls and sinking.

“That’s good news,” said Bill Lamoreaux, the state’s on-scene coordinator.

The tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef near here March 24, spilling 11 million gallons of crude into pristine Prince William Sound. The oil has spread into the Gulf of Alaska and fouled some of the many islands in the region.

Shared Duties

On Friday, President Bush said he would send the military to help with the cleanup. Exxon Corp., which has been accused of moving too slowly to contain the spill, will continue to provide materials, manpower and money.

Also Sunday:

--A 40-foot gray whale was found dead in an oil-fouled area, but wildlife experts determined it had died before the spill occurred. The spill has killed thousands of other animals, many of which have disappeared under water.

--Exxon said it was beginning to reimburse fishermen for losses from the cancellation of the herring season and had paid $250,000 to cover expenses for fishing boats attacking the spill on their own.

Coast Guard spokesman Rick Meidt said an Air Force general toured the area and sent a call to bases around the Pacific to find out what was available and what the estimated time of arrival in Valdez would be.

The Coast Guard’s Pacific commander, Vice Adm. Clyde Robbins, was joining the federal effort. Other experts dispatched by the Pentagon surveyed the cleanup, and with the help of the military, cleanup gear poured into Valdez.

“C5-A after C5-A is bringing in equipment,” including skimmers, more booms and beach landing craft to move people to the oily shoreline, Meidt said.

The Navy sent barges outfitted as hotels so that when coastline cleanup gets under way, workers will be housed near where they are working.

The forecast called for continued northeast winds, which will keep the oil moving toward Kodiak, 300 miles from the accident site. Kodiak last year produced a fish catch worth $166 million.

Slicks Breaking Up

But Meidt said: “When the helicopters go up, they’re seeing streamers a couple of miles long and slicks that are breaking up at the edges.”

Herring boats and Coast Guard cutters were dispatched to speed the breakup of the spill before it reaches Kodiak. At Seward, on the edge of a national park, a skimmer stood ready to protect inner bays and fish hatcheries.

In Cordova, Exxon said it gave the local fishermen’s union $250,000 for expenses to keep boats in the cleanup and said it was writing checks for losses from the canceled herring season. About $12 million worth of herring are taken in a typical season, which typically lasts less than a day at spawning time.

The state Fish and Game Department said the gray whale was found off Montague Island more than 75 miles from Bligh Reef, where the tanker ran aground.

Whale Autopsy Set

An autopsy will be performed, officials said. Such whales eat by straining sea water for minute animals such as plankton and krill. Gray whales are listed as an endangered species but their numbers have rebounded in recent years.

Officials said 119 dead sea otters have been counted and two boats are waiting to unload additional dead animals. Hundreds of dead birds have been counted, including some rare yellow-billed loons and two eagles.