Scarth said this oil spill rivals that of the Exxon Valdez, which happened in 1989 off the Alaskan coast. That oil spill led to American legislation requiring some ships to have double hulls, which would give the vessels a second shield to contain spilling oil. Environmentalists say the spill continues to have an impact on Alaskan ecosystems. About 900 tons of oil were still thought to be trapped in Treasure, and cleanup workers are racing to pump it from the sunken ship, said Capt. Bill Dernier of the maritime authority.
Oil is swabbed from inside the mouth of a penguin at the conservation center.
The penguin is among thousands rescued The operation entails anchoring a barge over the wreck of the Treasure and sending divers down with hoses to pump the oil out from the ship's tanks. It will be dangerous and difficult work. To reach some of the oil, divers will have to navigate their way through the inside of the Treasure in chilly waters up to 100 feet below the surface. Divers had to battle heavy swell when they used an underwater video camera to survey the wreck, which showed the Treasure to be damaged badly. A Greek shipping company named Good Faith manages the Treasure, and a Panamanian company owns it, Dernier said.