State, U.S. seek public help to update spill-response plans for north Puget Sound

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - April 24, 2008

08-100

State, U.S. seek public help to update spill-response plans for north Puget Sound

OLYMPIA – The public is invited to help the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) and U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) update and improve site-specific oil-spill response strategies used in north Puget Sound. These are called geographic response plans.

Ecology and the Coast Guard will hold two workshops this week – one in Mount Vernon and one in Bellingham – where citizens, resource managers, spill response contractors and oil-industry representatives can help identify any new information that might make the strategies more effective.

Geographic response plans are tailored to reduce the effects of oil spills to sensitive areas along beaches, shores, or waterways.

The first workshop will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 10441 Bayview-Edison Road, Mount Vernon.

The second workshop will be conducted from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 1, at the Whatcom County Council Chambers, 311 Grand Ave., Bellingham.

The goals of the workshops are to:

Provide information about the use and expectations of geographic response plans during spill incidents.
Solicit local information to update existing geographic response plans, including site access points such as boat ramps and marinas, sensitive natural resources, cultural resources and significant economic resources.
Ensure that those attending understand the plan updating process and provided the opportunity to participate.

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Media contact: Curt Hart, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (char461@ecy.wa.gov)

For more information about geographic response plans, the central Puget Sound workshops and the site-specific response plan updating process: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/GRP/GRPWorkshop.htm