Neah Bay Rescue Tug Returns To Duty July 1 On 365-Day Contract

June 30- State-funded standby rescue tug service at Neah Bay goes full-time for the first time in Puget Sound history

Seattle, WA Jun 30, 2008

6/30/08

1 Day Until the Rescue Tug Resumes Stand-by Duty at Neah Bay.

Why Is That Important? Because Bad Things Can Happen Out There:

*Daewoo Spirit (October 26, 2000): This 941-foot bulk carrier was experiencing periodic loss of steering in the Strait of Juan de Fuca entrance. This carrier can hold up to 1.2 million gallons of fuel…

NEWS RELEASE

NEAH BAY RESCUE TUG RETURNS TO DUTY JULY 1 ON 365-DAY CONTRACT

State oil spill prevention will mark an historic first as the tug Hunter begins stand-by rescue tug duty at Neah Bay July 1 on a year’s contract.

Action by the Washington state legislature last session provided a full year of funding for contract services, an improvement over year-to-year partial funding for wintertime-only protection for the last nine years.

Since 1999, rescue tugs stationed at Neah Bay have stood by or assisted 40 distressed vessels that were disabled or had reduced maneuvering or propulsion capability while transporting oil and other cargo along the coast and through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

“The state is to be congratulated for stepping up to fund the rescue tug for a full-year instead of just during the winter,” said Mike Sato, communications director of People For Puget Sound. “But this funding is a band aid solution because it is for only a year. A permanent, year-round funding solution must be found if we are to avoid a disaster in the Strait.”

In support of a long-term solution to having a rescue tug stationed at Neah Bay, People For Puget Sound and many organizations have asked Representative Rick Larsen and the state’s Congressional delegation to support Senator Maria Cantwell’s amendment to the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act (S. 1892) that would require the oil and shipping industries to pay for a permanent, year-round tug.

The state has budgeted $3.7 million for 365 days of tug stand-by duty this fiscal year.

# # #

See letter to Rep. Rick Larsen June 24, 2008

Contact: Mike Sato, People For Puget Sound, (206) 382-7007