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Department of Ecology News Release - July 10, 2006
06-120
OLYMPIA - The public is invited to help the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) update and improve site-specific oil-spill response strategies it uses for Central Puget Sound, called Geographic Response Plans (GRPs).
Ecology will hold two workshops this week - one in Tacoma and one in Seattle - where citizens, resource managers and oil-industry representatives can help identify any new information that might make the strategies more effective.
Geographic Response Plans are oil-spill response strategies tailored to minimize effects of oil to sensitive areas along beaches, shores, or waterways.
Ecology seeks natural resource information, local knowledge, Geographic Information System (GIS) data, contact information, waterway access points (such as boat ramps and marinas), surface water supply intakes, and any other information people might have.
The first workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, at the 1st Floor Ballroom, Sheraton Tacoma, 1320 Broadway Plaza in Tacoma. The second workshop will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, at Bell Harbor Dining Room, Bell Harbor at Pier 66, Seattle Waterfront, 2211 Alaskan Way in Seattle.
To comment without attending a meeting, send your information to John Williams, Washington Department of Ecology Spills Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA, 98504-7600, or call him at 360-407-6968, or e-mail him at jowi461@ecy.wa.gov . To comment on-line, go to: www.rrt10nwac.com/ and select "submit comments" in the left column.
Ecology asks for all public comments to be submitted by Aug. 7.
For more information and to view the GRPs, visit the following Ecology Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/GRP/GRP%20web%20page%20intro.htm . To see "frequently asked questions" about GRPs, go to: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0508007.html
Ecology develops GRPs in partnership with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Region 10 Response Team (RRT) and Northwest Area Committee (NWAC). Currently, all coastal and some selected inland water areas in Washington and Oregon are covered by 34 GRPs.
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Contact: Curt Hart, public information manager, 360-407-6990
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
