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Department of Ecology News Release - Sept. 18, 2000
00-182
OLYMPIA - Balmy fall weather will soon give way to winter storms and a higher risk of oil spills from tankers and cargo ships. But thanks to the tug Barbara Foss, the Strait of Juan de Fuca has some extra protection - starting today.
Earlier this year, the state Legislature approved funding for a rescue tug to be stationed temporarily at Neah Bay to help tankers and ships that run into trouble in the Strait. The arrival of the Barbara Foss marks the third year in a row that a rescue tug will be stationed at Neah Bay during the winter storm season.
For the past two winters, Gov. Gary Locke and Congressman Norm Dicks pulled together a mix of federal and state resources to station a rescue tug at Neah Bay to cover the western portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the outer Washington coast. Locke even dipped into his emergency fund to help cover last season's costs.
"Our state has one of the best spill-prevention programs in the country, but we still have gaps in our coverage," said Locke. "We cannot risk having a disastrous spill into the Strait and Puget Sound."
Joe Stohr, manager of the Department of Ecology's spills program, said a recent study showed that the western part of the Strait is virtually unprotected by the existing network of tugs in Puget Sound.
"If a ship goes adrift near the coast, there's little chance of a commercial tug getting to it before it hits the rocks," Stohr said. "We've been incredibly lucky so far. A rescue tug is not just smart - it's imperative."
The Barbara Foss is the same tug that was stationed in Neah Bay last winter. During its seven-month tour of duty, the tug responded to three incidents involving vessels that were drifting without power. It towed two of the three vessels to safety and demonstrated its ability to run at high speed through very large waves.
The legislature provided $1.65 million to cover the coming storm season. Due to strong competitive bidding for the contract, there's enough money to support the tug for eight months, rather than the seven months anticipated by the legislature.
The winning bid of $188,856 a month plus fuel costs will keep the Barbara Foss on duty through at least May 18, 2001.
As an added bonus, Makah tribal members will be trained as deckhands on the
tug through an apprenticeship program.
The outer coast and the Strait have a high volume of vessel traffic. They also
support some of the state's richest marine ecosystems and are prone to heavy
winter storms.
The Ecology Department used a 1995 Canadian study to determine the bid specifications for the rescue tug. According to that study, a tug of the Barbara Foss' size and horsepower should be able to stabilize a large vessel drifting off the Strait more than 90 percent of the time.
In the event the Barbara Foss must leave the Neah Bay station at any time, the tugs Garth Foss, Lindsey Foss and Jeffrey Foss are available as back-ups. Foss Maritime also has enhanced its salvage and spill-response capabilities through a teaming arrangement with Fred Devine Diving and Salvage.
Contact: Joe Stohr, Spills Program Manager, 360-407-7450
Sheryl Hutchison, Communications Director, 360-407-7004
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
