French beaches fail oil test

Only eight seaside communities on the oil-polluted Atlantic coast of France will receive European "blue flags" of cleanliness for their beaches this year.

Only eight seaside communities on the oil-polluted Atlantic coast of France will receive European "blue flags" of cleanliness for their beaches this year.

The European foundation for education and the environment, which awards the flags, has failed most beaches from southern Brittany to La Rochelle, even though they have been approved for reopening by the French government. Last year, 63communities on this part of the coast received blue badges of approval.

The French government announced that the vast majority of beaches along the shore stricken by the spill from the tanker Erika in December would be safe to open for the summer season. But the European foundation demands not only that the beaches should be safe for bathing and playing in the sand, but that they should be spotlessly clean.