The Nation - News from Sept. 8, 1989

Exxon Corp. abruptly ceased its wildlife rescue and collection efforts off environmentally battered Kodiak Island, Alaska, despite a new wave of bird deaths there. The firm had already been under fire for deciding to end the overall cleanup of its March 24 oil spill by mid-September. The early quitting date at the start of the fall bird migration surprised and angered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Paul Burke, assistant spill coordinator for the agency in Kodiak. There has been no official response to the criticism from Exxon. “We are considering a response,” said Ann Frechette, an Exxon spokeswoman in Valdez.