Oil-Damaged Beaches May Be Restored
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State and federal agencies this week released a proposal to restore beaches and wildlife damaged by an oil spill more than five years ago.
In September 1998, an oil tanker leaked an estimated 3,000 gallons of fuel oil into Pacific waters off the coast of San Mateo County, killing more than 1,500 seabirds and polluting 15 miles of coastline.
The agencies have proposed seven projects to improve habitats for seabirds, such as the threatened marbled murrelet and the endangered brown pelican, that were harmed by the spill.
Three other projects are aimed at improving public access to beaches at Half Moon Bay, Mirada Surf and Seal Cove.
The projects will be paid for by money from a 1999 court decree that found a Greek shipping firm responsible for the spill. About $4 million of the $5.5 million the company paid will be available for the proposed projects.
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