Nation IN BRIEF : PUERTO RICO : New Oil Spill May Damage Beaches

Beaches near San Juan may be further damaged by oil that escaped during removal of a barge that hit a reef and created a huge oil spill early this month, the Coast Guard said. Nearly 1 million gallons spilled from the barge after it hit the reef on Jan. 7. An additional 85,000 to 125,000 gallons escaped as the barge was being pulled from the reef and towed 40 miles west, where it was sunk in the Puerto Rican Trench, one of the deepest spots in the Atlantic. A Coast Guard officer said an oil slick from the new spill is moving toward San Juan.