The ship off the Oregon Coast is in the surf by Coos Bay, a fishing
community.  It is a Japanese ship from Panama.  Last year there was a
similar incident here in Eureka.  The freighter "KURE", a Japanese ship
registered to  Panama, ran into the Louisiana Pacific dock, here in the bay
(One of the country's 3 best nature reserves and lost about 50,000 gallons
of fuel oil.
        Interestingly enough, although the spill wasn't that large, we had
people fromall over.  NOOA, California Fish & Game and lots of insurance
companies.  My wife and I volunteered at the Command Post, where all the
"important people" were discussing the problem.  What to do with the seals,
otters, birds, etc (except molluscs).  We have an important oyster industry
in the bay and many people who clam recreationaly, but NO ONE was
interested in the molluscs.  I talked with several officials about the
problem and they all said, "it's not so bad, we'll check in a few days.
One of the organizations did a dive for clams and set them on the docks to
be checked.  Someone forgot to pick them up and there they sat.  When I
talked to them again, a few days later, they said that they'd do it again
at the next minus tide, next month.
        Here in Eureka, any low tide, as we have a very flat no-depth bay,
is a good time to "Clam", yet they were going to wait "until next month" .
There were no health notices seen on TV nor heard on the radio.  The
cleanup was mainly done by VOLUNTEERS, which saved the shipping company
many millions from their insurance.  Nice eh?
        The following month, KURE returned and was stuck on the sand bar at
the break wall.  The state paid for the hauling of KURE from the sand bar
and entered the bay again, "HOME FREE".
        Now, ain't that a crock?
Dan
 
 
>Hello friends,
>
>                     You may have heard about the ship that ran aground off
>the coast of Oregon. Today they set  fire to the ship to rid it of it's fuel
>before the haul breaches from the pounding surf. Regardless of what happens
>today we will still see some oil make it to shore, maybe a lot if another
>storm moves in. Has anyone seen this first hand on their own coast and what
>can we expect will happen to the shelling in the next couple of years. What a
>tragedy!!!!!
>
>Thank you,
>Stephen McMahan
 
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Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
Eureka, California
        95503-6018
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