Gulf cleanup will change once oil stops for good

By HARRY WEBER and TAMARA LUSH Associated Press Writers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The government's point man for the Gulf spill says he's planning to meet with coastal parish officials to talk about what's next now that the oil has stopped flowing.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said crews are having trouble finding patches of the crude that had been washing up on beaches and coating delicate coastal wetlands.

Oil had been spilling since the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 people. Then a temporary cap stopped it about two weeks ago. A permanent fix is in the in the works and could be done by mid-August.

Allen says he'll meet with officials Thursday to talk about what's next for the 11 million feet of boom, 811 oil skimmers and 40,000 people that have been part of the oil spill response.