SB 5907 - DIGEST

Finds reason to augment significant improvements brought about by the international maritime organization, the oil pollution act of 1990, and United States coast guard and industry safety initiatives to further protect Washington waters through the establishment of a targeted systemwide tug safety net plan.

Finds cost-effective protection for all state waters to be superior to a single tug, single location approach.

Requires the department of ecology to prepare the following reports by October 1, 2003: (1) A summary of all drift groundings within Washington waters of commercial vessels over three hundred gross tons that have resulted in oil releases and that addresses the potential mitigation of tug use during each of the oil spill incidents.

(2) A review of all current state prevention activities that lists in order of priority where tug mitigation funding ranks and whether current resources need to be reprogrammed to fund such activities.

(3) The department shall work with the office of the attorney general and the United States coast guard to list all potential uses of oil pollution act of 1990 funding for the mitigation benefits of targeted tug use.

(4) The department shall work with the office of the attorney general to list all past uses of the state-funded Neah Bay tug that were candidates for salvage claim awards.