Ecology oil spill rule advisory committee to meet Thursday in Lacey

OLYMPIA – As part of the process to update the state oil spill contingency plan rule, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has formed a special committee to provide informal comment on the draft regulation.

The rule advisory committee also will advise Ecology about how environmental, economic and other issues might be addressed.

The committee will meet monthly in Lacey starting this week. The final meeting will be held in May.

Ecology has crafted an updated draft rule that is currently available for informal public review until May 31. The formal comment period, including public hearings, won’t start until September.

The January advisory committee meeting will be held Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. S.E., Lacey.

The meeting is open to the public but space is limited. In addition, all advisory committee meetings will available through webinar. To participate in the Jan. 26 meeting, go to the Webinar link.

Details about advisory committee meetings, including meeting dates, agendas and membership is available online.

New state law requires rule amendment

Ecology is required to amend the state oil spill readiness – or contingency — plan rule by December 2012 under a new law passed last year by the Washington Legislature and approved by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

The law advances protection of Washington’s environment, economy and cultural resources from the impacts of a potential major oil spill by applying important lessons learned from the 2010 catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

For instance, the law requires oil companies operating in Puget Sound and the Columbia River to invest in response equipment and personnel to provide continuous on-water oil cleanup activities — including at night and during fog, rain and other inclement conditions.

Unlike the Gulf spill, a major oil spill to Washington waters could reach area shorelines in a matter of minutes or hours instead of days. If industry can remove as much oil on the water as possible during a significant spill, adverse shoreline impacts can be reduced.

Ecology has determined a major spill could cost Washington’s economy $10.8 billion and adversely affect 165,000 jobs due to disruptions in maritime shipping and public port activities, recreation and tourism, and damage to state fish, shellfish and wildlife resources.

Rule update will strengthen existing spill readiness requirements

Existing state law already requires oil tankers and tank vessels, commercial cargo vessels, passenger ships, refineries and large oil-handling facilities to have oil spill contingency plans to operate in Washington.

The plans outline the response actions each company will take to quickly minimize the impacts from an oil spill. Ecology reviews approves and continuously tests each plan.

The new law ensures that local resources such as commercial fishing vessels are able to effectively participate in a response to major spill. This includes training of crews and readiness of equipment. During the Gulf spill, these vessels played a critical role in the response. The advisory committee will help Ecology enhance Washington’s existing vessels of opportunity program.

The new law now requires ship operators to notify the state about vessel emergencies before incidents result in spills. This requirement can make response equipment is moved sooner to a potential spill site to minimize environmental impacts.

“While preventing spills is Ecology’s top priority, the new law ensures that Washington will have the best achievable protection to mount an aggressive, rapid and well coordinated response in the event of a major spill in Puget Sound and other state waters,” said Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, who oversees statewide spill preparedness activities for Ecology. “Our rule advisory committee will be instrumental in helping everyone reach the next level of preparedness if we have a major oil spill.”

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

For more information:

Ecology’s Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Oil Spill Rule Advisory Committee (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/rules/1106.html

Draft oil spill contingency plan rule language (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/rules/DRAFT%20Chapter173-182%20WAC%20VERSION%2001102012.pdf)

2011 Oil spill law (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202011/1186-S2.SL.pdf)

Ecology’s social media (www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html)