Title: An act relating to oil spill management.

Brief Description: Requiring oil spill contingency plans to include shellfish beds.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Water, Energy & Environment (originally sponsored by Senators Poulsen, Kline, Shin, Spanel, Fraser and Kohl-Welles).

Brief History:

Natural Resources, Ecology & Parks: 3/18/05, 3/24/05 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ECOLOGY & PARKS

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives B. Sullivan, Chair; Upthegrove, Vice Chair; Buck, Ranking Minority Member; Kretz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, DeBolt, Dickerson, Hunt, Orcutt and Williams.

Staff: Jeff Olsen (786-7157).

Background:

The Legislature enacted oil spill prevention and response measures in 1991 to promote the safety of marine transportation and to protect state waters from oil spills. The Director of the Department of Ecology has the primary authority to oversee prevention, abatement, response, containment, and cleanup efforts for oil spills in state waters.

The oil spill program requires oil spill prevention plans, contingency response plans, and documentation of financial responsibility for vessels and facilities that may discharge oil into navigable waters.

Owners and operators of onshore and offshore facilities must prepare and submit oil spill contingency and prevention plans. The plans are valid for five years and may be combined into a single document. Facilities may opt to submit contingency plans for tank vessels unloading at the facility. Contingency plans must provide for protection of fisheries and wildlife, natural resources, and public and private property.

Summary of Bill:

Shellfish beds are specifically added to the list of natural resources to be considered for facility and vessel oil spill contingency planning purposes.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The state manages over two million acres of aquatic lands, and by adding shellfish to contingency plan will help protect those resources. Oil and shellfish don't mix, and by adding this requirement to the planning process is an important step in prevention.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Ed Owens, Coalition of Coastal Fisheries; and Fran McNair, Department of Natural Resources.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.