Washington State Department of Ecology

Public Comments

You have an opportunity to review oil spill plans, manuals, the Geographic Response Plan process and other spill related proposals. We welcome your feedback to ensure the highest standards of prevention, preparedness and response to oil spills. The list contains current proposals Ecology from which is seeking feedback.

If you would like to be notified when documents are available for public review, you may join our contact list by the following way:

Washington State government LISTSERV. You will also receive updates on news and information related to oil spill issues.
Contact Barbara Lensch at (360) 407-6959 or blen461@ecy.wa.gov.

Contingency Plans

Washington Administration Code (WAC) 173-182 requires certain oil handling facilities, pipelines and vessels to have a state-approved oil spill contingency plan that ensures their ability to respond to major oil spills. This is a regulatory requirement with a 30-day public review period.

Equivalent Compliance Plan

Any facility or delivering vessel may submit a proposal for equivalent compliance for alternative measures during oil transfers. Facilities or delivering vessels must pre-boom or meet the applicable alternative measures until equivalent compliance is approved.

Geographic Response Plans (GRPs)

There will be a 30-day period for the public to provide comments on the final GRP for each region. In addition, members of the public may provide feedback following any GRP workshop(s) scheduled in their area.

Safe and Effective Threshold Values

The rules require facilities and delivering vessel owners or operators to determine the “threshold values” for sea and wave conditions, wind speed, current velocity, and any other pertinent conditions, beyond which they believe pre-booming is unsafe or ineffective for each location a facility conducts Rate A transfers.

Shared Strategic Work Plan

There is an opportunity for the public to comment on the shared strategic work plan between Ecology and USCG.

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Documents for Spills

SEPA Rules require agencies to "circulate" certain SEPA documents for public review, including scoping notices, draft environmental impact statements and some determinations of nonsignificance. This page summarizes the few spill incidents that had (or have) supporting documentation for their comment periods.