March 2008

Puget Sound is at risk of a major oil spill

Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits are among the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Fifteen billion gallons of oil move across the waters of Puget Sound in ships every year. Our four huge refineries receive tanker-loads of Alaskan oil hundreds of times every year. And cargo ships of all kinds -- accounting for thousands of trips in Puget Sound each carry enough fuel to devastate Puget Sound should a spill occur.

Most experts agree that its not a question of whether we will have another major spill in Washington waters, but when it will occur and whether we respond in a way which minimizes damage.  

In listing the orca whale as a threatened species under both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, the federal government has recognized a major oil spill as the number one threat to orcas.   In fact, the whole Puget Sound ecosystem could hang in the balance if such a spill occurred here.

More can and should be done to prevent such spills and to ensure we can properly respond when they do occur.   People for Puget Sound is the leading environmental organization working on these issues at the state level.   We championed legislation in the state legislature in 2005 to establish a state Oil Spill Advisory Council, designed to promote a “zero spills policy” here in Washington.   Since that time, the Council has made numerous recommendations on how the state can improve in this area.    While some of these recommendations have been advanced there still much more to do.

Recent Spills Underscore the Risk

The WA State Department of Ecology and U.S. Coast Guard say the 2004 Dalco Passage spill was 1,000 gallons. The Exxon Valdez spill was 11 million gallons. A significant portion of Puget Sound's response equipment and personnel were brought into play for only 1,000 gallons. One-fifth of all the booms available in the Sound, and most of the skimmers, were in use. What would happen in the Sound if a more significant spill occurred?

Recent major spills in San Francisco, South Korea, and the Black Sea have resulted in approximately 4.5 million gallons of oil and fuel being dumped into our oceans.  These spills have caused dramatic problems to local ecosystems, fisheries, and local economies.  

"Lessons learned" from those spills can help us avoid a similar disaster in Washington waters.

Current spill prevention and cleanup measures are inadequate

We still have a long way to go to strengthen oil spill prevention and cleanup measures. Improvements include:

• Permanent year-round funding (not just 200 days) for the Neah Bay rescue tug, and maintenance of tug escort requirements for oil tankers, whether it is funding from the State or the passage of the federal Coast Guard Reauthorizaiton bill, offered by Senator Cantwell (S.1892).
  

In a big victory during the 2008 state legislative session, People for Puget Sound successfully argued for year   round funding of the rescue in 2009.    This marks the first time the federal or state government had approved such funding.   The next step will be to provide a permanent funding source.

• Strengthened spill cleanup plans ("contingency plans") which insure that oil companies and other regulated parties have stockpiled adequate cleanup gear around Puget Sound and on the outer coast. 
  

People for Puget Sound is working with the State Oil Spill Advisory Council to conduct a major study on our preparedness for spills.    Currently the state Department of Ecology requires under state “contingency plans” that oil companies, shippers, and others at risk of causing a spill, show that they have the resources (both equipment and personnel) to respond to a spill.  Conservation groups, however, have long questioned whether the plans are strong enough to provide a timely response to such a spill.   Our work with both the Department of Ecology and the Oil Spill Council is helping to move the state in the right direction.

• Strengthened spill prevention programs at the federal level, including enhanced vessel maintenance, crew training, drug testing, and other relevant prevention measures.

The federal Coast Guard has primary responsibility over these issues.   The Coast Guard Reauthorization bill referenced above, will help strengthen a number of these measures.   The Oil Spill Advisory Council is reviewing and recommending additional improvements.

 You can help prevent oil spills by:

1. Taking action:

 
2. Staying informed:

By subscribing, you'll receive an email each time your voice is urgently needed to influence federal and state decision-makers.

 3. Attending meetings of the Oil Spill Advisory Council

4. Talking to your friends and neighbors about the need for our elected officials to make protecting Puget Sound from oil spills a top priority.

Contact: Bruce Wishart, (360) 754-9177