SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 6013

                      AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 10, 1992

Brief Description:  Including archaeological resources in oil and hazardous substance spill prevention and response.

SPONSORS: Senator Conner

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Conner, Owen, Snyder, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Ats Kiuchi (786‑7708)

Hearing Dates: January 21, 1992

BACKGROUND:

The 1991 Oil and Hazardous Substance Spill Prevention and Response Act (ESHB 1027) established comprehensive programs to prevent spills, protect natural resources and speed clean-up activities.

The act created the Office of Marine Safety with major responsibilities to: establish three regional marine safety committees for north Puget Sound/Strait of Juan de Fuca, south Puget Sound, and Pacific coast; develop regional marine safety plans for vessel traffic; and create a Strait of Juan de Fuca emergency response system.

The Marine Safety office is authorized to issue civil penalties of up to $100,000 a day as well as deny entry to vessels not meeting financial responsibility requirements or having approved spill prevention and contingency plans.

The financial responsibility for oil tank vessels is increased to $500 million.  A five-member marine oversight board is created to review industry, state, and federal marine spill response and prevention efforts.

The Department of Ecology heads the state spill incident command system. In addition, the department shall develop standards for oil transfer facilities on land and from ships and direct the resource damage assessment efforts.

A five cents a barrel tax is imposed on oil delivered at marine terminals to fund the program.

SUMMARY:

Archaeological resources shall be included in all state comprehensive spill prevention and response activities.

The state Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation shall assist in the identification of areas and resources and in the damage preassessment activities.  Damaged archaeological resources shall be eligible for restoration and enhancement funds from the state coastal protection fund.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note: requested January 14, 1992

TESTIMONY FOR:

Archaeological resources are valuable and once lost can never be recovered.  These sites need to be identified since they range from the coastal beaches and to the banks of our major rivers.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Senator Paul Conner; David Hansen, State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation; Dawn Vyvyan, Yakima Indian Nation