It will take "years" to restore the eco-systems and habitats hit by the Gulf of Mexico oil slick, a U.S. official said

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- It will take "years" to restore the eco-systems and
habitats hit by the Gulf of Mexico oil slick, a U.S. official said Monday.

  "Dealing with the oil spill on the surface will go on for a couple of
months," said Admiral Thad Allen, who is coordinating the government's response
to the oil spill which has been pouring into the Gulf since April.

  "Long term issues of restoring environments and habitats and stuff will be
years," he said in a White House briefing.

  Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most
important business and market news, analysis and commentary:
http://www.djnewsplus.com/nae/al?rnd=dgjgNbfAYj5z%2FiX7fiOnxw%3D%3D. You can
use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.