BP Gulf Disaster: Oil spill arrives on Alabama barrier island, heads toward state's coastline

Alabama, June 1 (Reuters)

The U.S. Gulf Coast state of Alabama closed its oyster beds on Tuesday and discouraged swimming on its barrier island resort of Dauphin Island due to the presence of oil, state authorities said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had forecast that winds could drive oil from the huge Gulf of Mexico spill onto the Alabama coast this week.

"Oil has been identified on a portion of Dauphin Island beaches and in waters immediately offshore," the state's Department of Public Health said in a statement, calling the measures precautionary. (Reporting by Kelli Dugan, Editing by Pascal Fletcher)