Officials say Athens coast clean-up nearly finished

Greek authorities say they have finished cleaning up a section of Athens coastline polluted by a large oil slick more than a month ago, and the full cleanup operation should be finished within days.

Merchant Marine Minister Panagiotis Kouroumblis on Tuesday declared the Paleo Faliro area oil-free.

However, the local mayor said he would await the results of water quality tests before removing signs that ban swimming in the area.

The overall ban covers a 20-kilometer (13-mile) coastal stretch from Greeces main port of Piraeus to Glyfada, further south. It was imposed after the Agia Zoni II, a small tanker, sank Sept. 9 while anchored in calm seas off Salamina island, near Piraeus.

The Merchant Marine Ministry said the rest of the affected coastline would be clean within days. [AP]