SSB 5432 -
By Senators Spanel, Swecker
ADOPTED 03/15/2005
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 90.56.005 and 2004 c 226 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The legislature declares that ((the increasing reliance on))
water borne transportation as a source of supply for oil and hazardous
substances poses special concern for the state of Washington. Each
year billions of gallons of crude oil and refined petroleum products
are transported as cargo and fuel by vessels on the navigable waters of
the state. These shipments are expected to increase in the coming
years. Vessels transporting oil into Washington travel on some of the
most ((unique)) valuable and special marine environments in the United
States. These marine environments are a source of natural beauty,
recreation, and economic livelihood for many residents of this state.
As a result, the state has an obligation to ensure the citizens of the
state that the waters of the state will be protected from oil spills.
(2) The legislature finds that prevention is the best method to
protect the ((unique)) valuable and special marine environments in this
state. The technology for containing and cleaning up a spill of oil or
hazardous substances is ((in the early stages of development)) at best
only partially effective. Preventing spills is more protective of the
environment and more cost-effective when all the response and damage
costs associated with responding to a spill are considered. Therefore,
the legislature finds that the primary objective of the state is to
((adopt)) achieve a zero spills strategy to prevent any oil or
hazardous substances from entering waters of the state.
(3) The legislature also finds that:
(a) Recent accidents in Washington, Alaska, southern California,
Texas, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the nation have shown that the
transportation, transfer, and storage of oil have caused significant
damage to the marine environment;
(b) Even with the best efforts, it is nearly impossible to remove
all oil that is spilled into the water, and average removal rates are
only fourteen percent;
(c) Washington's navigable waters are treasured environmental and
economic resources that the state cannot afford to place at undue risk
from an oil spill; ((and))
(d) The state has a fundamental responsibility, as the trustee of
the state's natural resources and the protector of public health and
the environment to prevent the spill of oil; and
(e) In section 5002 of the federal oil pollution act of 1990, the
United States congress found that many people believed that complacency
on the part of industry and government was one of the contributing
factors to the Exxon Valdez spill and, further, that one method to
combat this complacency is to involve local citizens in the monitoring
and oversight of oil spill plans. Congress also found that a mechanism
should be established that fosters the long-term partnership of
industry, government, and local communities in overseeing compliance
with environmental concerns in the operation of crude oil terminals.
Moreover, congress concluded that, in addition to Alaska, a program of
citizen monitoring and oversight should be established in other major
crude oil terminals in the United States because recent oil spills
indicate that the safe transportation of oil is a national problem.
(4) In order to establish a comprehensive prevention and response
program to protect Washington's waters and natural resources from
spills of oil, it is the purpose of this chapter:
(a) To establish state agency expertise in marine safety and to
centralize state activities in spill prevention and response
activities;
(b) To prevent spills of oil and to promote programs that reduce
the risk of both catastrophic and small chronic spills;
(c) To ensure that responsible parties are liable, and have the
resources and ability, to respond to spills and provide compensation
for all costs and damages;
(d) To provide for state spill response and wildlife rescue
planning and implementation;
(e) To support and complement the federal oil pollution act of 1990
and other federal law, especially those provisions relating to the
national contingency plan for cleanup of oil spills and discharges,
including provisions relating to the responsibilities of state agencies
designated as natural resource trustees. The legislature intends this
chapter to be interpreted and implemented in a manner consistent with
federal law;
(f) To provide broad powers of regulation to the department of
ecology relating to spill prevention and response;
(g) To provide for an independent ((oversight board)) oil spill
advisory council to review on an ongoing basis the adequacy of oil
spill prevention, preparedness, and response activities in this state;
and
(h) To provide an adequate funding source for state response and
prevention programs.
Sec. 2 RCW 90.56.010 and 2000 c 69 s 15 are each amended to read
as follows:
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply
unless the context indicates otherwise:
(1) "Best achievable protection" means the highest level of
protection that can be achieved through the use of the best achievable
technology and those staffing levels, training procedures, and
operational methods that provide the greatest degree of protection
achievable. The director's determination of best achievable protection
shall be guided by the critical need to protect the state's natural
resources and waters, while considering (a) the additional protection
provided by the measures; (b) the technological achievability of the
measures; and (c) the cost of the measures.
(2) "Best achievable technology" means the technology that provides
the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration (a)
processes that are being developed, or could feasibly be developed,
given overall reasonable expenditures on research and development, and
(b) processes that are currently in use. In determining what is best
achievable technology, the director shall consider the effectiveness,
engineering feasibility, and commercial availability of the technology.
(3) "Board" means the pollution control hearings board.
(4) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other
than a tank vessel or a passenger vessel, three hundred or more gross
tons, including but not limited to, commercial fish processing vessels
and freighters.
(5) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose,
unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed
by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system.
(6) "Committee" means the preassessment screening committee
established under RCW 90.48.368.
(7) "Council" means the oil spill advisory council created in
section 3 of this act.
(8) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or
passenger vessel.
(((8))) (9) "Department" means the department of ecology.
(((9))) (10) "Director" means the director of the department of
ecology.
(((10))) (11) "Discharge" means any spilling, leaking, pumping,
pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.
(((11))) (12)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of
structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel,
located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil
in bulk to or from a tank vessel or pipeline, that is used for
producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting
oil in bulk.
(b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor
vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the
highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) underground storage tank
regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 90.76
RCW; (iii) motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iv) facility that is
operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW
82.04.330; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than
three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel,
in a single transaction.
(((12))) (13) "Fund" means the state coastal protection fund as
provided in RCW 90.48.390 and 90.48.400.
(((13))) (14) "Having control over oil" shall include but not be
limited to any person using, storing, or transporting oil immediately
prior to entry of such oil into the waters of the state, and shall
specifically include carriers and bailees of such oil.
(((14))) (15) "Marine facility" means any facility used for tank
vessel wharfage or anchorage, including any equipment used for the
purpose of handling or transferring oil in bulk to or from a tank
vessel.
(((15))) (16) "Marine waters" means the area within the state
boundaries that includes Hood Canal, Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de
Fuca, the Pacific Ocean, and the Columbia river estuary.
(17) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the
state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and
flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past,
or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or
foreign commerce.
(((16))) (18) "Necessary expenses" means the expenses incurred by
the department and assisting state agencies for (a) investigating the
source of the discharge; (b) investigating the extent of the
environmental damage caused by the discharge; (c) conducting actions
necessary to clean up the discharge; (d) conducting predamage and
damage assessment studies; and (e) enforcing the provisions of this
chapter and collecting for damages caused by a discharge.
(((17))) (19) "Oil" or "oils" means naturally occurring liquid
hydrocarbons at atmospheric temperature and pressure coming from the
earth, including condensate and natural gasoline, and any fractionation
thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, petroleum, gasoline,
fuel oil, diesel oil, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes
other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed in
Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted August 14, 1989, under
section 101(14) of the federal comprehensive environmental response,
compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499.
(((18))) (20) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in,
on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not
include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any
land of the state, other than submerged land.
(((19))) (21) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of
which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than
submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be
expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging
oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining
shorelines.
(((20))) (22)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a
vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the
vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person
owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned
vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or
operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.
(b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land
underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations
of the facility.
(((21))) (23) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or
more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons
carrying passengers for compensation.
(((22))) (24) "Person" means any political subdivision, government
agency, municipality, industry, public or private corporation,
copartnership, association, firm, individual, or any other entity
whatsoever.
(((23))) (25) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other
floating craft of any kind.
(((24))) (26) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil or
hazardous substances into the waters of the state.
(((25))) (27) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or
adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo
residue, and that:
(a) Operates on the waters of the state; or
(b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of
this state.
(((26))) (28) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds,
streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries,
tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state,
sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the
jurisdiction of the state of Washington.
(((27))) (29) "Worst case spill" means: (a) In the case of a
vessel, a spill of the entire cargo and fuel of the vessel complicated
by adverse weather conditions; and (b) in the case of an onshore or
offshore facility, the largest foreseeable spill in adverse weather
conditions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 90.56 RCW
to read as follows:
(1)(a) There is established in the office of the governor the oil
spill advisory council.
(b) The primary purpose of the council is to maintain the state's
vigilance in, by ensuring an emphasis on, the prevention of oil spills
to marine waters, while recognizing the importance of also improving
preparedness and response.
(c) The council shall be an advisory body only.
(2)(a) The council is composed of fifteen members representing
various interests as follows:
(i) Three representatives of environmental organizations;
(ii) One representative of commercial shellfish interests;
(iii) One representative of commercial fisheries that primarily
fishes in Washington waters;
(iv) One representative of marine recreation;
(v) One representative of tourism interests;
(vi) Three representatives of county government from counties
bordering Puget Sound, the Columbia river/Pacific Ocean, and the Strait
of Juan de Fuca/San Juan Islands;
(vii) Two representatives of marine trade interests;
(viii) One representative of major oil facilities;
(ix) One representative of public ports; and
(x) An individual who resides on a shoreline who has an interest,
experience, and familiarity in the protection of water quality.
(b) In addition to the members identified in this subsection, the
governor shall invite the participation of tribal governments through
the appointment of two representatives to the council.
(3) Appointments to the council shall reflect a geographical
balance and the diversity of populations within the areas potentially
affected by oil spills to state waters.
(4) Members shall be appointed by the governor and shall serve
four-year terms, except the initial members appointed to the council.
Initial members to the council shall be appointed as follows: Six
shall serve two-year terms, six shall serve three-year terms, and five
shall serve four-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment
in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the
unexpired term of the position vacated. Members serve at the pleasure
of the governor.
(5) The council shall elect a chair from among its members in odd-numbered years to serve for two years as chair. The chair shall
convene the council at least four times per year. At least one meeting
per year shall be held in a Columbia river community, an ocean coastal
community, and a Puget Sound community.
(6) Members shall not be compensated, but shall be reimbursed for
travel expenses while attending meetings of the council or technical
advisory committee as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(7) The first meeting of the council shall be convened by the
governor or the governor's designee. Other meetings may be convened by
a vote of at least a majority of the voting members of the council, or
by call of the chair. All meetings are subject to the open public
meetings act. The council shall maintain minutes of all meetings.
(8) To the extent possible, all decisions of the council shall be
by the consensus of the members. If consensus is not possible, nine
voting members of the council may call for a vote on a matter. When a
vote is called, all decisions shall be determined by a majority vote of
the voting members present. Two-thirds of the voting members are
required to be present for a quorum for all votes. The subject matter
of all votes and the vote tallies shall be recorded in the minutes of
the council.
(9) The council may form subcommittees and technical advisory
committees.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 90.56 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The duties of the council include:
(a) Selection and hiring of professional staff and expert
consultants to support the work of the council;
(b) Early consultation with government decision makers in relation
to the state's oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response
programs, analyses, rule making, and related oil spill activities;
(c) Providing independent advice, expertise, research, monitoring,
and assessment for review of and necessary improvements to the state's
oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response programs, analyses,
rule making, and other decisions, including those of the Northwest area
committee, as well as the adequacy of funding for these programs;
(d) Monitoring and providing information to the public as well as
state and federal agencies regarding state of the art oil spill
prevention, preparedness, and response programs;
(e) Actively seeking public comments on and proposals for specific
measures to improve the state's oil spill prevention, preparedness, and
response program, including measures to improve the effectiveness of
the Northwest area committee;
(f) Evaluating incident response reports and making recommendations
to the department regarding improvements;
(g) Consulting with the department on lessons learned and agency
progress on necessary actions in response to lessons learned;
(h) Promoting opportunities for the public to become involved in
oil spill response activities and provide assistance to community
groups with an interest in oil spill prevention and response, and
coordinating with the department on the development and implementation
of a citizens' involvement plan;
(i) Serving as an advisory body to the department on matters
relating to international, national, and regional issues concerning oil
spill prevention, preparedness, and response, and providing a mechanism
for stakeholder and public consideration of federal actions relating to
oil spill preparedness, prevention, and response in or near the waters
of the state with recommended changes or improvements in federal
policies on these matters;
(j) Accepting moneys from appropriations, gifts, grants, or
donations for the purposes of this section; and
(k) Any other activities necessary to maintain the state's
vigilance in preventing oil spills.
(2) The council is not intended to address issues related to spills
involving hazardous substances.
(3) By December 15, 2005, the council shall recommend to the
governor and appropriate committees of the legislature, proposals for
the long-term funding of the council's activities and for the long-term
sustainable funding for oil spill preparedness, prevention, and
response activities.
(4) By September 1st of each year, the council shall make
recommendations for the continuing improvement of the state's oil spill
prevention, preparedness, and response activities through a report to
the governor and the appropriate committees of the senate and house of
representatives.
Sec. 5 RCW 90.56.060 and 2004 c 226 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The department shall prepare and annually update a statewide
master oil and hazardous substance spill prevention and contingency
plan. In preparing the plan, the department shall consult with an
advisory committee representing diverse interests concerned with oil
and hazardous substance spills, including the United States coast
guard, the federal environmental protection agency, state agencies,
local governments, port districts, private facilities, environmental
organizations, oil companies, shipping companies, containment and
cleanup contractors, tow companies, ((and)) hazardous substance
manufacturers, and the oil spill advisory council.
(2) The state master plan prepared under this section shall at a
minimum:
(a) Take into consideration the elements of oil spill prevention
and contingency plans approved or submitted for approval pursuant to
this chapter and chapter 88.46 RCW and oil and hazardous substance
spill contingency plans prepared pursuant to other state or federal law
or prepared by federal agencies and regional entities;
(b) State the respective responsibilities as established by
relevant statutes and rules of each of the following in the prevention
of and the assessment, containment, and cleanup of a worst case spill
of oil or hazardous substances into the environment of the state: (i)
State agencies; (ii) local governments; (iii) appropriate federal
agencies; (iv) facility operators; (v) property owners whose land or
other property may be affected by the oil or hazardous substance spill;
and (vi) other parties identified by the department as having an
interest in or the resources to assist in the containment and cleanup
of an oil or hazardous substance spill;
(c) State the respective responsibilities of the parties identified
in (b) of this subsection in an emergency response;
(d) Identify actions necessary to reduce the likelihood of spills
of oil and hazardous substances;
(e) Identify and obtain mapping of environmentally sensitive areas
at particular risk to oil and hazardous substance spills;
(f) Establish an incident command system for responding to oil and
hazardous substances spills; and
(g) Establish a process for immediately notifying affected tribes
of any oil spill.
(3) In preparing and updating the state master plan, the department
shall:
(a) Consult with federal, provincial, municipal, and community
officials, other state agencies, the state of Oregon, and with
representatives of affected regional organizations;
(b) Submit the draft plan to the public for review and comment;
(c) Submit to the appropriate standing committees of the
legislature for review, not later than November 1st of each year, the
plan and any annual revision of the plan; and
(d) Require or schedule unannounced oil spill drills as required by
RCW 90.56.260 to test the sufficiency of oil spill contingency plans
approved under RCW 90.56.210.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 A new section is added to chapter 90.56 RCW
to read as follows:
The oil spill advisory council account is created in the custody of
the state treasurer. All receipts from appropriations or gifts,
grants, or donations from public or private sources shall be deposited
into the fund. Expenditures from the fund may be used only for the
purposes of this act. Only the oil spill advisory council may
authorize expenditures from the fund. The fund is subject to allotment
procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required
for expenditures."
SSB 5432 -
By Senators Spanel, Swecker
ADOPTED 03/15/2005
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "Relating to" strike the remainder of the title and insert "the oil spill advisory council; amending RCW 90.56.005, 90.56.010, and 90.56.060; and adding new sections to chapter 90.56 RCW."