Officials Hopeful Houston Oil Spill Not Hard On Wildlife

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Environmental groups as well as state and federal officials are encouraged by ongoing assessments that seem to show the effect an oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel on wildlife has been relatively minor.

But they remain cautious, saying they are still finding injured animals that they are cleaning and treating.

Two conservationists with the Houston chapter of the National Audubon Society on Tuesday conducted a survey of a bird sanctuary on the nearby Bolivar Peninsula.

While they found birds that had some oil on them, they did not find any that were completely covered in the tar-like substance that spilled Saturday after a barge and ship collided.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard partially reopened the ship channel on Tuesday.