_______________________________________________
ENGROSSED SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8008
_______________________________________________
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
State of Washington 50th Legislature 1987 Regular Session
By Senators Conner, Anderson, Metcalf, Vognild, Kreidler, Tanner, Smitherman, DeJarnatt, Talmadge, Garrett, Peterson and Moore
Read first time 2/16/87 and referred to Committee on Parks & Ecology.
TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, There are approximately five hundred oil spills that contaminate Washington's waters each year; and
WHEREAS, The 1986 Washington State Legislature mandated that the State Department of Ecology appoint an Oil Spill Advisory Committee made up of state and local government agencies, maritime and oil industries, environmental groups, and Indian tribes; and
WHEREAS, The Oil Spill Advisory Committee studied ways by which spills can be prevented and by which spills can be cleaned up more quickly and effectively, and made several recommendations to the Department of Ecology; and
WHEREAS, One recommendation states that the Department of Ecology and the Division of Emergency Management should collaborate with local governments to develop local contingency plans, response agreements, and plans for regular training exercises; and
WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature agrees that effective local expertise is crucial to the prevention and cleanup of oil spills; and
WHEREAS, The Committee determined that funding for local involvement in oil spill response is needed; and
WHEREAS, The Oil Spill Advisory Committee also recommended that the United States Coast Guard, which has not made oil pollution prevention one of its top priorities, revise its priorities, putting oil spill prevention high on the list; and
WHEREAS, The Oil Spill Advisory Committee recommended that a reevaluation of uses of designated anchorage areas is needed in certain areas of Puget Sound;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:
(1) The President and Congress of the United States authorize funding for a comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation program, which would plan research into improved local oil spill response and which would provide local and county reimbursement for oil spill cleanup costs;
(2) The Congress of the United States request that the United States Coast Guard place pollution prevention regulations, and the enforcement of those regulations, high on their list of priorities for operations on the waters of Washington State;
(3) Should the Coast Guard not increase its emphasis on spill prevention, the Congress direct the Washington State Department of Ecology to investigate the legality of, and subsequently develop a program of monitoring fuel transfers;
(4) The Congress encourage the Coast Guard to increase monitoring of oil pollution prevention, and to pursue funding if necessary;
(5) Should the Coast Guard not increase monitoring as recommended, the Congress direct the Washington State Attorney General's Office to investigate state authority to board vessels in the manner of the State of Alaska;
(6) The Congress request that the Coast Guard work with federal, state, county, and local agencies, the private sector, and tribal governments to develop spill contingency plans and joint training exercises;
(7) The Congress request that the Coast Guard Commandant and the 13th Coast Guard District in Seattle designate and control anchorage areas in light of environmental, economic and other considerations; and
(8) The Congress request that the United States Coast Guard develop a working relationship with the Washington State Departments of Ecology, Licensing, and the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.