IV-467 



"On January 22, all beaches from the Connecticut River 

 at Griswold Point, Oil Lyme to the Harkness Memorial 

 State Park south of New London at the mouth of the 

 Thames River were visually checked. The only beaches 

 still with noticeable oil was Harkness Memorial State 

 which was fairly cleared of the heavy oil. A policeman 

 in Niantic said the tides cleared most oil from their 

 beach. 



"As of Friday, January 24, the Thames Science Center 

 Executive Director, John Gardner, summarized the situation 

 as follows: 



'"The oil pollution was not severe because of the limited 

 volume of pollutant in the water, the tendency of the oil 

 to remain in globular form, its rapid mixing with sand, 

 and dissipation by waves action. Beaches appear in good 

 condition on the surface. Marine life seems to have 

 minimal problems. Because of wintering populations most 

 waterfowl suffered moderate losses. However, we know that 

 80 percent of the loons, 90 percent of the horned grebes 

 and 23 percent of the red-breasted mergansers wintering 

 in the survey area have been affected.'" 



"A revised appraisal on January 30 concludes that: 



"'At this time beaches are relatively clean, although 



