Reaction of Politicians to Oil Spill Along Coast
Huntington Beach and Newport Beach residents obviously aren’t singing “Anchors Away!” or “God Save the Queen” nowadays, since the American Trader, a ship leased to a British shipping firm, created a major oil spill when its own anchor ripped a hole in the ship, endangering the coastline and nearby fish and wildlife.
Unfortunately, oil-shipping companies still haven’t learned their lessons from the Alaskan and other oil spills. What is needed are better-constructed ships, improved safety procedures to help prevent such spills, skilled crewmen who are knowledgeable about what to do when such a disaster strikes and the capacity to clean up such a spill immediately after it occurs.
KENNETH L. ZIMMERMAN
Cypress
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