Oil Cleanup Cut Back; Dam to Be Lowered

With rain predicted during the next few days, officials prepared today to lower one of the temporary earthen dams that was hastily built across the mouth of the Santa Ana River last week when oil from a massive spill threatened to invade sensitive wetlands.

In the meantime, the work force that used rakes, absorbent pompons and shovels to remove oil from the beaches has been scaled back to 635 because authorities believe that most of the oil is gone.

Huntington Beach Mayor Tom Mays said at a press briefing this morning, however, that “this disaster is far from over.” He predicted several more weeks of cleanup.

Mays was accompanied by state Controller Gray Davis, who called for Gov. George Deukmejian to visit the area and declare it a disaster. The governor said earlier in the week that the private companies have been so successful in cleaning up the spill that it does not need to be declared a disaster.

“I cannot believe he has not shown the interest or the compassion or the humanity to drive 15 minutes down here from his home in Long Beach to see the situation,” Davis said.

Tony Kozlowski, spokesman for British Petroleum, said the remaining work crew is concentrated along Newport Beach shores today, where a six-mile-wide slick of thin oil was spotted offshore Thursday extending from Newport Beach to Irvine Cove.