Valdez to Move Closer to Shore; Divers to Test Inside Ship’s Tanks

Turbulent sea waves have peeled back a sixth piece of steel from the bottom of the Exxon Valdez and the crippled tanker, now 52 miles offshore, will be moved in closer to relieve stress on the ship’s damaged hull, the Coast Guard said Saturday.

Bringing the ship, still sporadically discharging what officials believe is oil, closer to shore also will lessen risks posed to divers, who will enter the Valdez’s cargo tanks today to gather residue samples, officials said.

Collection and testing of samples of oil and organic residue from inside the tanker may take up to 14 days, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Don Montoro. Until then, the 987-foot ship, which arrived offshore San Diego last Sunday, will continue to float at least about 30 miles west of Point Loma.

“We plan to keep it offshore as far as possible until more testing is completed. You’ve got to recognize that we’re not dealing with huge amounts of oil,” said Montoro. “We know what’s being emitted. We just don’t know how much toxicity is in it.”

Both the Coast Guard and Exxon said the six plates, which must be removed to allow the ship to clear the San Diego Bay bottom, do not affect the ship’s structural integrity, and said officials are not worried about the ship’s seaworthiness.