TotalFina Drops More Cash Oil Spill Recovery

TotalFina plans to add $4.5 million for tourism promotion to the $120 million it has already pledged to clean up the December fuel spill from its chartered tanker Erika. The company has been under intense pressure from fishermen, environmentalists and politicians since the Dec. 12 disaster. Oil from the ship has killed or trapped an estimated 300,000 seabirds and polluted about 250 miles of France's coastline. Critics charged that TotalFina did not act willingly or quickly enough to prevent damage to fisheries, oyster beds and tourist beaches. TotalFina said the latest donation would go to a government-backed publicity fund organized to clean up the beaches in time for the summer tourist season.