document: In Valdez , Alaska , the Coast Guard confirmed Saturday that a fresh oil sheen has seeped from the ruptured Exxon Valdez and that a complete cleanup of the damaged tanker is impossible . Later in the day in Juneau , a package of bills aimed at protecting Alaska from another devastating oil spill like the one that fouled Prince William Sound was passed by the state Senate with little trouble . `` Oil is clinging to the tanks inside , '' said Vice Adm. Clyde Robbins , the federal on-the-scene coordinator . `` What we 're getting is that clinging oil mixed with water that causes sheen . `` Unfortunately , it 's impossible to completely remove the oil unless you steam-clean the tanker , and nobody intends to do that , '' Robbins said . Robbins did not give an estimate of how widespread the oil sheen , or shininess on the water 's surface , had become . Time-Consuming Repairs He said he doubted the vessel , which is undergoing temporary repairs 30 miles from the March 24 site where the Exxon Valdez ruptured on a reef , will be moved soon . `` I 'm estimating at least a month to six weeks , '' he said . `` Obviously , this -LRB- ship -RRB- is a hot potato . Nobody in the Lower 48 -LRB- states -RRB- wants it . We may end up going to a foreign port . '' Reacting to the largest oil spill in the nation 's history , the Republican-led Senate acted with unusual speed to move the six bills through the chamber and to the House . However , it appeared unlikely that the Democrat-controlled House would approve the entire package before adjournment , which is scheduled for May 9 . 11-Million-Gallon Spill The Senate action came five weeks after the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef , spewing more than 11 million gallons of crude oil into the fish - and wildlife-rich sound . The Senate bills would increase civil fines for spill damage ; impose a surcharge on oil producers to boost the state 's spill-response fund ; prevent oil companies from deducting spill costs from their oil-production taxes ; require the state to create spill contingency plans ; establish a spill-response office and cleanup corps , and create a commission to investigate the Exxon Valdez spill . More Bills Pending More than a dozen other spill-related bills are still pending in both chambers of the Legislature . Exxon reported Saturday that it has paid out $ 500,000 to 150 fishermen on claims of lost work . It is processing another 300 claims .
extractive_keyphrases: devastating oil spill alaska fresh oil sheen complete cleanup tanker exxon valdez spill damage crude oil spill costs spill contingency plans exxon valdez spill
abstractive_keyphrases: spill-response fund spill-related bills