NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Monday, March 6, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-42 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Follow-up on Employee Illness

Mike Warren, the park's fire management officer, remains hospitalized at Kaweah
Delta Hospital in Visalia with a severe case of cocci-meningitis. 
Unfortunately, he has not responded well to treatment, has experienced several
setbacks, and will remain hospitalized indefinitely.  Cards and letters are the
most appropriate way to correspond with him, and may be sent to him at 40984
Grouse Drive, Three Rivers, CA 93271.  [Debbie Bird, CR, SEKI, 3/3]

95-88 - Padre Island (Texas) - Oil Spill

On February 5th, two tankers collided while transferring heavy crude oil
between them, causing an 85,000-gallon spill into the Gulf of Mexico about 40
miles south of Galveston.  Heavy crude oil is of the consistency of tar and
consequently disappeared below the surface as it migrated through the Gulf.  On
February 25th, it was spotted as it worked its way up the coast of Padre
Island, and started coming ashore the next day as the currents moved it
northward.  It's estimated that about 500 barrels of crude oil came ashore in
the form of tarballs between dime and dinner plate size.  Over 90 miles of
Texas beaches, including all 60 miles of the park's beaches, have been closed. 
About 300 environmental response people have been on the beaches for the past
week raking, shoveling, grading and front-end loading oil and impregnated sand
from the area.  Cleanup efforts have been satisfactory, but have been hampered
by high winds and unusually high tides.  Only 20 oil-covered birds have been
found in the park; half have so far survived.  Damage to other wildlife seems
to be minimal and diminishing as the oil disperses.  The Coast Guard is serving
as lead agency and is working closely with eight federal and state agencies and
several environmental cleanup companies representing the tankers' owners. 
Mexican officials have been warned that portions of the spill may also come up
on their shores.  A second spill from a tanker explosion in the same spot is
also being monitored by the Coast Guard and may have the same impacts on the
park because of similar tide and current effects.  [Butch Farabee,
Superintendent, PAIS, 3/3]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.


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