Black Sea cleanup

Last update: November 14, 2007 - 8:01 PM

The cleanup of the massive oil spill in the Black Sea was inching slowly forward. Firemen, farmworkers and soldiers, armed with spades and pitchforks, spread out over the sands Wednesday along with about 1,000 volunteers. And 1,000 students were expected to join the effort today. A rescue helicopter hovered over the water, scanning the sea for signs of the five seamen still missing.

The concentration of oil products in a strait linking the Black Sea and Sea of Azov is 50 times above maximum acceptable levels after a tanker split open during Sunday's storm, Russian experts said Wednesday.

"Tests of water samples made by Russian weather service experts on November 13 showed 2.5 milligrams per liter, which is 50 times above the acceptable concentration level," the service said. It said the storm in the Kerch Strait had prevented experts from taking the samples until Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES TIMES,

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE

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