February 23, 1996
Web posted at: 11:50 p.m. EST (0450 GMT)
ANGLE, Wales (CNN) -- There was a flurry of finger pointing Friday in the aftermath of a 20 million gallon oil spill off the coast of Wales near a wildlife sanctuary.
The blame is being placed by some on the British government as well as human error, but in any case, compensation claims from the spill promise to run into the millions of dollars. The February 15 leak was almost twice the size of the notorious Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound near Alaska in 1989.
Environmentalists discovered hundreds of sea birds covered in oil along the saturated beaches Friday. At Angle, 6 miles west of the town of Milford Haven, the oil was ankle-deep on shore.
Chemicals were being sprayed on the 12-mile slick. On the beaches, crews used large skimmers with rotating blades to lift the oil off the incoming tide.
![[Imagemap]](/WORLD/images/9601/navbar2.gif){kind=small}
Associated Press text, photos, graphics, audio and/or video materials shall not directly or indirectly be published, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. Subscriber does not hold the AP liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damage arising from any of the foregoing.
Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 1996 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Reuters content may not be stored except for personal, non-commercial use. Republication and redissemination of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in connection with the Reuter content or from any damages arising therefrom.
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.