Federal Oil Spill Response Increases

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has increased the fishing ban to 54,000 square miles, or 22 percent of federal waters in the Gulf. The new closure extends west off the Louisiana coast. The Food and Drug Administration is testing seafood for signs of oil contamination with samples taken from the water, at dockside and at markets. Meantime, the Port of New Orleans reports a tanker requested it be cleaned of oil before it left the Gulf. Two offshore vessels power washed the tanker before it entered the river and headed past New Orleans. So far, the river remains open to maritime traffic, which the Coast Guard says is one of its top priorities.
For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.