HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESJM 8008

As Amended by the House

BYSenators Conner, Anderson, Metcalf, Vognild, Kreidler, Tanner, Smitherman, DeJarnatt, Talmadge, Garrett, Peterson and Moore

Requesting funding for a comprehensive oil spill program.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Allen, Brekke, Ferguson, Jesernig, May, Pruitt, Schoon, D. Sommers, Sprenkle, Unsoeld and Walker.

House Staff:Bonnie Austin (786-7107)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 8, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Three major oil spills have occurred in Washington waters in the last three years:  the SS Mobil Oil spill near the mouth of the Columbia river in March, 1984; a spill of unknown origin on the shores of Whidbey Island in December, 1985; and the grounding of the Arco Anchorage near Port Angeles in December, 1985.  The oil spill cleanup response and damage assessment procedures used at the Port Angeles spill raised concerns regarding the adequacy of these procedures.

In 1986 the legislature responded to these concerns by directing the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to establish an Oil Spill Advisory Committee to study existing prevention measures, containment and cleanup provisions, and the allocation of cleanup authority between federal, state and local agencies.  The Oil Spill Advisory Committee issued its report in December, 1986, making majority recommendations in the areas of spill prevention, contingency planning, spill cleanup response, wildlife rehabilitation, waste disposal, and damage assessment.

The committee recommended that the legislature encourage Congress to approve and fund a comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation program.  The committee also recommended that the legislature encourage Congress to request that the U.S. Coast Guard place pollution prevention regulation and enforcement higher on their list of priorities and reevaluate the uses designated anchorage areas in Puget Sound.

SUMMARY:

The President and Congress are requested to authorize funding for a comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation program, which would research local oil spill response and provide reimbursement to local government entities for oil spill cleanup costs.

Congress is petitioned to request of the U.S. Coast Guard to place pollution prevention regulations and enforcement high on their list of priorities, to increase monitoring of oil pollution prevention, to work with entities developing spill contingency plans and joint training exercises, and to designate and control anchorage areas in light of environmental and economic considerations.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Conner; Mark Horton, Department of Ecology, J.P. Jones, PSSOA/NWTA.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    A bill was before Congress last year that would have authorized a comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation program.  Washington needs to send Congress the message that we support this type of legislation.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.