Scientist Says Allow Major Oil Spills to Hit Beaches

?There?s not much life on the beach, so it?s quite safe to have oil being stranded on the beach and remove it,? says Dr. Martin Schulton. ?It?s easier to remove it from the beach than to remove it from the water or from rocky shores.?

Dr. Schulton was speaking, in particular, to the Spanish Government?s handling of the ?Prestige? spill off the coast of Galicia near La Coruna. The ?Prestige? was allowed to drift out to sea where it floundered in gale force winds in November, 2002. It finally broke up six days later, spilling 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.

Dr. Schulton said that fearing television viewing of oil filled beaches would hurt tourism, but it really meant that environmentally sound planning was not carried out.