LONG BEACH : Navy Crews Mop Up Fuel Oil Spill in Harbor

Navy crews continued to work Thursday in Long Beach Harbor to mop up traces of about 5,000 gallons of fuel oil that spilled from a decommissioned frigate last weekend, officials said.

The fuel oil spilled into the harbor Sunday while the fuel system of the Brewton was being flushed at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. An improperly aligned valve was responsible for the spill, a Navy spokesman said.

Navy crews used oil booms, skimmers and absorbent pads to contain the spill and remove the fuel oil from the water and rocks in the industrial area. About 2,000 gallons of fuel oil was recovered, said warden Helen Carr of the state Department of Fish and Game, which is overseeing the cleanup. Most of the rest of the fuel oil dispersed and the remainder will evaporate, she said.

About a dozen birds had been partially coated with the fuel oil but none had died. Fish and Game biologists were studying a nearby mussel bed to determine if it had been impacted, she said.