R.I. finishes shellfish restoration after oil spill

PROVIDENCE—A million oysters are heading into Rhode Island waters during the final stage of a seeding project that seeks to rebuild stocks following a massive 1996 oil spill.

State and federal officials said the fifth and final batch of oysters will be planted at three sites starting Wednesday.

The oysters were raised last summer in a floating nursery off Point Judith in Narragansett. Now an inch or larger, they will be transplanted to depleted oyster beds.

More than five million oysters have been released during the five-year restoration effort, which is funded by a legal settlement.

The seeding program began after a tank barge called the North Cape ran aground off South Kingstown and spilled 828,000 gallons of heating oil, killing millions of shellfish.