U.S. Ports, Shipping Lanes Open Despite Spill

U.S. ports and shipping lanes on the Gulf of Mexico remained open Wednesday despite the spreading oil spill, officials said. No cargo ships needing cleaning were reported, so there were no delays for decontamination, port spokesmen said. New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, are the major cargo centers threatened on the central Gulf Coast. Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, also are near the spill.