The Nation - News from April 12, 1989

Rough seas that helped stall and break up some of the giant oil spill from the tanker Exxon Valdez near Valdez, Alaska, became calmer and winds shifted away from fish-rich Kodiak Island, the Coast Guard reported. Coast Guard spokesman Ken Freeze said the spill appears to have stalled and is breaking into tar balls. Equipment continued to pour into the area aboard military transports. A huge Soviet oil-skimming vessel, the Vay Dagursky, was expected to arrive Saturday, state officials said. The ship can skim 200,000 gallons an hour and store 2 million gallons of oil on board, they said.