2SHB 1186 -
By Representative Hudgins
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 02/28/2011
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that the
"deepwater horizon" wellhead blowout, explosion, and oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, resulted in the release of two
hundred million gallons of crude oil into the environment. Impacts
after the spill have included deaths and injuries, extensive damage to
the marine environment and wildlife habitats, as well as large
socioeconomic damages to local citizens, commercial fishing, tourism,
businesses, and recreation. As late as six months after the spill,
four thousand two hundred square miles of the Gulf of Mexico were
closed to commercial shrimp harvest. The incident in the Gulf of
Mexico is a reminder that the threat of major spills to Washington's
environment, natural resources, economy, quality of life, and private
property is significant.
(2) The legislature further finds that during the fall of 2010 the
department of ecology compiled lessons learned from the Gulf of Mexico
spill and the Puget Sound partnership convened an oil spill work group
in an effort to ensure there is a rapid and aggressive response to a
large scale spill in Washington and that oversight of spills is well
coordinated among different levels of government and industry. The
legislature intends to build upon these efforts, and other recent
studies, to improve Washington's prevention and response capabilities.
While current oil spill contingency plans are required to address worst
case spills, it is also clear that the state may be underprepared for
a large scale oil spill of the magnitude possible by failures of an oil
tanker or a tank barge, particularly within the confined waters of
Puget Sound. Lessons learned from the 2010 deepwater horizon incident
demonstrate that improvements to Washington's existing oil spill
prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities are both necessary
and possible.
Sec. 2 RCW 88.46.010 and 2009 c 11 s 7 are each reenacted and
amended to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter
unless the context clearly requires 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)(a) "Best achievable technology" means the technology that
provides the greatest degree of protection taking into consideration:
(((a))) (i) Processes that are being developed, or could feasibly
be developed, given overall reasonable expenditures on research and
development((,)); and
(((b))) (ii) Processes that are currently in use.
(b) In determining what is best achievable technology, the director
shall consider the effectiveness, engineering feasibility, and
commercial availability of the technology.
(3) "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.
(4) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other
than a tank vessel or a passenger vessel, of three hundred or more
gross tons, including but not limited to, commercial fish processing
vessels and freighters.
(5) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or
passenger vessel.
(6) "Department" means the department of ecology.
(7) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.
(8) "Discharge" means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring,
emitting, emptying, or dumping.
(9)(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) retail motor vehicle motor
fuel outlet; (iii) facility that is operated as part of an exempt
agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330; (iv) underground
storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under
chapter 90.76 RCW; 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.
(10) "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.
(11) "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.
(12) "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. "Offshore facility" does not include
a marine facility.
(13) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at
atmospheric temperature and any fractionation thereof, including, but
not limited to, crude oil, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil,
biological oils and blends, 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.
(14) "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.
(15)(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.
(16) "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.
(17) "Person" means any political subdivision, government agency,
municipality, industry, public or private corporation, copartnership,
association, firm, individual, or any other entity whatsoever.
(18) "Race Rocks light" means the nautical landmark located
southwest of the city of Victoria, British Columbia.
(19) "Severe weather conditions" means observed nautical conditions
with sustained winds measured at forty knots and wave heights measured
between twelve and eighteen feet.
(20) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating
craft of any kind.
(21) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil into the waters
of the state.
(22) "Strait of Juan de Fuca" means waters off the northern coast
of the Olympic Peninsula seaward of a line drawn from New Dungeness
light in Clallam county to Discovery Island light on Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, Canada.
(23) "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.
(24) "Vessel emergency" means a substantial threat of pollution
originating from a covered vessel, including loss or serious
degradation of propulsion, steering, means of navigation, primary
electrical generating capability, and seakeeping capability.
(25) "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.
(26) "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.
(27) "Vessels of opportunity response system" means a fleet of
nondedicated commercial vessels and crew, including commercial fishing
vessels, other commercial vessels, publicly owned vessels, and other
appropriate nonrecreational vessels, that are under contract with, and
equipped by, contingency plan holders to assist with oil spill response
activities, including on-water oil recovery in the near shore
environment and the placement of oil spill containment booms to protect
sensitive habitats.
(28) "Regional vessels of opportunity response group" means a fleet
of vessels participating in a vessels of opportunity response system
and directed and positioned to respond to spills in a defined
geographic area.
(29) "Volunteer coordination system" means an oil spill response
system that, before a spill occurs, prepares for the coordination of
volunteers to assist with appropriate oil spill response activities,
which may include shoreline protection and cleanup, wildlife recovery,
field observation, light construction, facility maintenance, donations
management, clerical support, and other aspects of a spill response.
(30) "Umbrella plan holder" means a Washington nonprofit
corporation established consistent with this chapter for the purposes
of providing oil spill response and contingency plan coverage.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1)(a) The owner or operator of a tank vessel transiting to or from
a Washington marine facility shall establish or fund a vessels of
opportunity response system to supplement the timely and effective
response to spills in the vessel's area of operation.
(b) Except for tank vessels with an area of operation limited to
the Columbia river, the vessels of opportunity response system must be
composed of an adequate number of regional vessels of opportunity
response groups so as to be prepared to respond to a spill anywhere
within the tank vessel's area of operation within twelve hours after
notification of a spill event, to the extent that a twelve-hour spill
response is determined to be safe and effective. For tank vessels with
an area of operation limited to the Columbia river, the vessels of
opportunity system may be limited to one regional vessels of
opportunity response group located near the mouth of the river.
(c) Each regional vessels of opportunity response group must be
composed of a sufficient number of participating vessels to satisfy a
planning standard of having at least six capable vessels available at
any one time during a spill response incident. To achieve the planning
standard of deploying six individual nondedicated vessels at any one
time, a regional vessels of opportunity response group must include a
total of more than six participating nondedicated vessels.
(2) A vessels of opportunity response system must include the
maintenance of active contracts with an adequate sized fleet of
capable, nondedicated vessels that ensures the following:
(a) Participating vessels can be rapidly equipped, consistent with
subsection (3) of this section, with dedicated response equipment that
represents the best achievable technology, given the expected operating
environment, for the booming, storage, and recovery of oil. The best
achievable technology may vary among regional vessels of opportunity
response groups and the individual participating vessels based on
whether or not the expected response area is open marine water, harbor
areas, Puget Sound, or river environments; however, the vessels
participating in an individual response group must, at a minimum,
collectively have access to equipment that includes containment boom
and oil recovery systems capable of operating in currents of at least
four knots;
(b) The appropriate response equipment is readily available to the
individual vessels participating in a regional vessels of opportunity
response group; and
(c) Crews of the participating vessels are:
(i) Equipped with adequate personal protection gear; and
(ii) Properly trained to utilize response equipment that represents
the highest level of available oil spill response technology for the
expected operating environment. Crew training may be limited to safe
response equipment utilization and deployment and not the maintenance
of response equipment.
(3)(a) The dedicated response equipment actually provided to
individual participating vessels in a regional vessels of opportunity
system may differ among participating vessels; however, the equipment
provided collectively to the individual participants in a response
group must satisfy the requirements of this section. As such, when
necessary to satisfy the requirements of this section, not all
participating vessels are, individually, required to be equipped with
technology representing the best achievable protection.
(b) The dedicated response equipment provided to individual
participating vessels in a regional vessels of opportunity system may
be dedicated equipment owned and maintained by the contingency plan
holder and not by the owner or operator of the participating vessel as
long as the participating vessels have access to, and can be equipped
with, the equipment as required in this section. Equipment that is
required to be available to dedicated responders under section 5 of
this act may supplement but not substitute for equipment available to
regional vessels of opportunity response groups.
(4) In addition to meeting requirements specified in RCW 88.46.060,
contingency plans for tank vessels operating in Washington waters must
provide for the organization and contracting of a vessels of
opportunity response system as required by this section.
(5)(a) The requirements of this section may be fulfilled by one or
more private organizations or nonprofit corporations providing umbrella
coverage under contract to single or multiple tank vessels. Any
organization or corporation providing coverage to satisfy the
requirements of this section must ensure that the vessels of
opportunity response system being provided includes the establishment
of a minimum of six distinct regional vessels of opportunity response
groups that are located strategically to ensure a timely response in
any of Washington's marine waters or the Columbia river.
(b) Unless otherwise directed by the department, the response
groups must at a minimum be stationed so as to be able to respond to
incidents occurring in the following locations:
(i) The outer coast;
(ii) The Strait of Juan de Fuca;
(iii) Northern Puget Sound;
(iv) Central Puget Sound;
(v) Southern Puget Sound; and
(vi) The mouth of the Columbia river.
(c) The department may require a private organization or nonprofit
corporation providing umbrella coverage to satisfy the requirements of
this section to station regional vessels of opportunity response groups
in areas that are in addition to the minimum required response areas of
this subsection based on risk and need.
(6) Each regional vessel of opportunity response group must undergo
a minimum of two drills a year to ensure that the overall vessels of
opportunity response system is maintained at an appropriate level of
readiness and that the actual number of participating vessels is
sufficient to meet the planning goal of deploying a minimum of six
capable vessels at any one time during a spill response incident. The
department may award credit to the plan holder for practice drills
accordingly. Each successful activation of the vessels of opportunity
response system may be considered by the department to satisfy a drill
covering this portion of the contingency plan.
(7) The decision to activate a vessels of opportunity response
system during a spill response, and provide direction as to how and
where the regional vessels of opportunity response groups should
respond, is the sole responsibility of the designated incident
commander or the unified command. The incident commander or unified
command is the only entity empowered to direct which of the response
equipment available to a regional vessels of opportunity response group
is appropriate for the operating environment and for the capabilities
of the specific individual responding vessels.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department shall establish a volunteer coordination system.
The volunteer coordination system may be included as a part of the
state's overall oil spill response strategy, and may be implemented by
local emergency management organizations, in coordination with any
analogous federal efforts, to supplement the state's timely and
effective response to spills.
(2) The department should consider how the volunteer coordination
system will:
(a) Coordinate with the incident commander or unified command of an
oil spill and any affected local governments to receive, screen, and
register volunteers who are not affiliated with the emergency
management organization or a local nongovernmental organization;
(b) Coordinate the management of volunteers with local
nongovernmental organizations and their affiliated volunteers;
(c) Coordinate appropriate response operations with different
classes of volunteers, including pretrained volunteers and convergent
volunteers, to fulfill requests by the department or an oil spill
incident commander or unified command;
(d) Coordinate public outreach regarding the need for and use of
volunteers;
(e) Determine minimum participation criteria for volunteers; and
(f) Identify volunteer training requirements and, if applicable,
provide training opportunities for volunteers prior to an oil spill
response incident.
(2) An act or omission by any volunteer participating in a spill
response or training as part of a volunteer coordination system, while
engaged in such activities, does not impose any liability on the
department, any participating local emergency management organization,
or the volunteer for civil damages resulting from the act or omission.
However, the immunity provided under this subsection does not apply to
an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or willful or
wanton misconduct.
(3) The decisions to utilize volunteers in an oil spill response,
which volunteers to utilize, and to determine which response activities
are appropriate for volunteer participation in any given response are
the sole responsibilities of the designated incident commander or
unified command.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) In addition to meeting the requirements specified in this
chapter applicable to all covered vessels, contingency plans for tank
vessels must provide for:
(a) Rapid access to equipment located within the state that
reflects the best achievable protection for the expected operating
environment in the vessel's area of operation without requiring
equipment with capabilities that exceeds the response requirements for
the expected operating environment; and
(b) Continuous operation of oil spill response activities without
regard to the operating environment to the maximum extent practicable
and without unreasonably jeopardizing crew safety.
(2) In reviewing tank vessel contingency plans to measure
compliance with this section, the department must ensure that, at a
minimum, plans:
(a) Provide access to dedicated equipment appropriate for the
operating environment as needed to achieve oil recovery, to the maximum
extent practicable and without unreasonably jeopardizing crew safety;
including, at minimum, equipment that includes containment boom and oil
recovery systems capable of operating in currents of at least four
knots. Equipment intended to be used for response activities on the
outer coast or the Strait of Juan de Fuca must also be capable of open
water operations;
(b) Include a technical analysis of best achievable technology and
best achievable protection for the expected operating environment in
the vessel's area of operation, and incorporate best achievable
protection; and
(c) Provide adequate capacity for storage or proper disposal of the
volume and type of oil considered by the contingency plan so as to
achieve continuous operation of oil recovery to the maximum extent
practicable.
(3) Contingency plans for tank vessels must provide for the ability
of the tank vessel to have access, either directly or through an
assured contract with a third party, to multispectrum scanning
technologies that enhance the ability of responders to detect and
respond to oil spills in times of low visibility and at night,
including technology that is capable of aerial oil identification,
location mapping, and downloading of the information in real time to
response vessels and the command post. This technology is not required
to be stationed in Washington, but must be capable of being operational
at the site of an incident within four hours of plan activation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department is responsible for ordering joint large-scale,
multiple plan equipment deployment drills of tank vessels to determine
the adequacy of the owner's or operator's compliance with the
contingency plan requirements of this chapter. The department must
order at least one drill as outlined in this section every three years.
(2) The tank vessel equipment deployment drills must focus on, at
a minimum, the following:
(a) The functional ability for multiple contingency plans to be
simultaneously activated with the purpose of testing the ability for
dedicated equipment and trained personnel cited in multiple contingency
plans to be activated in a large scale spill; and
(b) The operational readiness during both the first six hours of a
spill and, at the department's discretion, over multiple operational
periods of response.
(3) Joint drills ordered under this section may be incorporated
into other drill requirements under this chapter when deemed beneficial
by the department for enabling larger scale drills within the overall
drill management framework.
(4) Each successful large-scale, multiple plan equipment deployment
drill conducted under this section may be considered by the department
as a drill of the underlying contingency plan and credit may be awarded
to the plan holder accordingly.
(5) The department shall, when practicable, coordinate with
applicable federal agencies, the state of Oregon, and the province of
British Columbia to establish a drill incident command and to help
ensure that lessons learned from the drills are evaluated with the goal
of improving the underlying contingency plans.
Sec. 7 RCW 88.46.060 and 2005 c 78 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Each covered vessel shall have a contingency plan for the
containment and cleanup of oil spills from the covered vessel into the
waters of the state and for the protection of fisheries and wildlife,
shellfish beds, natural resources, and public and private property from
such spills. The department shall by rule adopt and periodically
revise standards for the preparation of contingency plans. The
department shall require contingency plans, at a minimum, to meet the
following standards:
(a) Include full details of the method of response to spills of
various sizes from any vessel which is covered by the plan;
(b) Be designed to be capable in terms of personnel, materials, and
equipment, of promptly and properly, to the maximum extent practicable,
as defined by the department, removing oil and minimizing any damage to
the environment resulting from a worst case spill;
(c) Provide a clear, precise, and detailed description of how the
plan relates to and is integrated into relevant contingency plans which
have been prepared by cooperatives, ports, regional entities, the
state, and the federal government;
(d) Provide procedures for early detection of spills and timely
notification of such spills to appropriate federal, state, and local
authorities under applicable state and federal law;
(e) State the number, training preparedness, and fitness of all
dedicated, prepositioned personnel assigned to direct and implement the
plan;
(f) Incorporate periodic training and drill programs consistent
with this chapter to evaluate whether personnel and equipment provided
under the plan are in a state of operational readiness at all times;
(g) Describe important features of the surrounding environment,
including fish and wildlife habitat, shellfish beds, environmentally
and archaeologically sensitive areas, and public facilities. The
departments of ecology, fish and wildlife, ((and)) natural resources,
and ((the office of)) archaeology and historic preservation, upon
request, shall provide information that they have available to assist
in preparing this description. The description of archaeologically
sensitive areas shall not be required to be included in a contingency
plan until it is reviewed and updated pursuant to subsection (9) of
this section;
(h) State the means of protecting and mitigating effects on the
environment, including fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and other
wildlife, and ensure that implementation of the plan does not pose
unacceptable risks to the public or the environment;
(i) Establish guidelines for the use of equipment by the crew of a
vessel to minimize vessel damage, stop or reduce any spilling from the
vessel, and, only when appropriate and only when vessel safety is
assured, contain and clean up the spilled oil;
(j) Provide arrangements for the prepositioning of spill
containment and cleanup equipment and trained personnel at strategic
locations from which they can be deployed to the spill site to promptly
and properly remove the spilled oil;
(k) Provide arrangements for enlisting the use of qualified and
trained cleanup personnel to implement the plan;
(l) Provide for disposal of recovered spilled oil in accordance
with local, state, and federal laws;
(m) Until a spill prevention plan has been submitted pursuant to
RCW 88.46.040, state the measures that have been taken to reduce the
likelihood that a spill will occur, including but not limited to,
design and operation of a vessel, training of personnel, number of
personnel, and backup systems designed to prevent a spill;
(n) State the amount and type of equipment available to respond to
a spill, where the equipment is located, and the extent to which other
contingency plans rely on the same equipment; ((and))
(o) If the department has adopted rules permitting the use of
dispersants, the circumstances, if any, and the manner for the
application of the dispersants in conformance with the department's
rules;
(p) Compliance with section 8 of this act if the contingency plan
is submitted by an umbrella plan holder; and
(q) Include any additional elements of contingency plans as
required by this chapter.
(2)(((a))) The owner or operator of a ((tank)) covered vessel ((of
three thousand gross tons or more shall)) must submit ((a)) any
required contingency plan updates to the department within ((six months
after)) the timelines established by the department ((adopts rules
establishing standards for contingency plans under subsection (1) of
this section.)).
(b) Contingency plans for all other covered vessels shall be
submitted to the department within eighteen months after the department
has adopted rules under subsection (1) of this section. The department
may adopt a schedule for submission of plans within the eighteen-month
period
(3)(a) The owner or operator of a tank vessel or of the facilities
at which the vessel will be unloading its cargo, or a Washington state
nonprofit corporation established for the purpose of oil spill response
and contingency plan coverage and of which the owner or operator is a
member, shall submit the contingency plan for the tank vessel. Subject
to conditions imposed by the department, the owner or operator of a
facility may submit a single contingency plan for tank vessels of a
particular class that will be unloading cargo at the facility.
(b) The contingency plan for a cargo vessel or passenger vessel may
be submitted by the owner or operator of the cargo vessel or passenger
vessel, by the agent for the vessel resident in this state, or by a
Washington state nonprofit corporation established for the purpose of
oil spill response and contingency plan coverage and of which the owner
or operator is a member. Subject to conditions imposed by the
department, the owner, operator, or agent may submit a single
contingency plan for cargo vessels or passenger vessels of a particular
class.
(c) A person who has contracted with a covered vessel to provide
containment and cleanup services and who meets the standards
established pursuant to RCW 90.56.240, may submit the plan for any
covered vessel for which the person is contractually obligated to
provide services. Subject to conditions imposed by the department, the
person may submit a single plan for more than one covered vessel.
(4) A contingency plan prepared for an agency of the federal
government or another state that satisfies the requirements of this
section and rules adopted by the department may be accepted by the
department as a contingency plan under this section. The department
shall ensure that to the greatest extent possible, requirements for
contingency plans under this section are consistent with the
requirements for contingency plans under federal law.
(5) In reviewing the contingency plans required by this section,
the department shall consider at least the following factors:
(a) The adequacy of containment and cleanup equipment, personnel,
communications equipment, notification procedures and call down lists,
response time, and logistical arrangements for coordination and
implementation of response efforts to remove oil spills promptly and
properly and to protect the environment;
(b) The nature and amount of vessel traffic within the area covered
by the plan;
(c) The volume and type of oil being transported within the area
covered by the plan;
(d) The existence of navigational hazards within the area covered
by the plan;
(e) The history and circumstances surrounding prior spills of oil
within the area covered by the plan;
(f) The sensitivity of fisheries and wildlife, shellfish beds, and
other natural resources within the area covered by the plan;
(g) Relevant information on previous spills contained in on-scene
coordinator reports prepared by the director; and
(h) The extent to which reasonable, cost-effective measures to
prevent a likelihood that a spill will occur have been incorporated
into the plan.
(6)(a) The department shall approve a contingency plan only if it
determines that the plan meets the requirements of this section and
that, if implemented, the plan is capable, in terms of personnel,
materials, and equipment, of removing oil promptly and properly and
minimizing any damage to the environment.
(b) The department must notify the plan holder in writing within
sixty-five days of an initial or amended plan's submittal to the
department as to whether the plan is disapproved, approved, or
conditionally approved. If a plan is conditionally approved, the
department must clearly describe each condition and specify a schedule
for plan holders to submit required updates.
(7) The approval of the contingency plan shall be valid for five
years. Upon approval of a contingency plan, the department shall
provide to the person submitting the plan a statement indicating that
the plan has been approved, the vessels covered by the plan, and other
information the department determines should be included.
(8) An owner or operator of a covered vessel shall notify the
department in writing immediately of any significant change of which it
is aware affecting its contingency plan, including changes in any
factor set forth in this section or in rules adopted by the department.
The department may require the owner or operator to update a
contingency plan as a result of these changes.
(9) The department by rule shall require contingency plans to be
reviewed, updated, if necessary, and resubmitted to the department at
least once every five years.
(10) Approval of a contingency plan by the department does not
constitute an express assurance regarding the adequacy of the plan nor
constitute a defense to liability imposed under this chapter or other
state law.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) When submitting a contingency plan to the department under RCW
88.46.060, any umbrella plan holders that enroll both tank vessels and
covered vessels that are not tank vessels must, in addition to
satisfying the other requirements of this chapter, specify:
(a) The maximum worst case discharge volume from covered vessels
that are not tank vessels to be covered by the umbrella plan holder's
contingency plan; and
(b) The maximum worst case discharge volume from tank vessels to be
covered by the umbrella plan holder's contingency plan.
(2) Tank vessel owners or operators that are enrolled with an
umbrella plan holder and that have worse case discharge volumes larger
than the maximum volume covered by the contingency plan of the umbrella
plan holder must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that
the owner or operator of the tank vessel has access to the necessary
additional response capabilities.
Sec. 9 RCW 88.46.100 and 2000 c 69 s 10 are each amended to read
as follows:
(((1))) In ((order to assist the state in identifying areas of the
navigable waters of the state needing special attention, the owner or
operator of a covered vessel shall notify the)) addition to any
notifications that the owner or operator of a covered vessel must
provide to the United States coast guard ((within one hour:))
regarding a vessel emergency, the owner or operator of a covered vessel
must notify the state of any vessel emergency that results in the
discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil to state waters or
that may affect the natural resources of the state. The purpose of
this notification is to enable the department to coordinate with the
vessel operator, contingency plan holder, and the United States coast
guard to protect the public health, welfare, and natural resources of
the state and to ensure all reasonable spill preparedness and response
measures are in place prior to a spill occurring.
(a) Of the disability of the covered vessel if the disabled vessel
is within twelve miles of the shore of the state; and
(b) Of a collision or a near miss incident within twelve miles of
the shore of the state.
(2) The state military department and the department shall request
the coast guard to notify the state military department as soon as
possible after the coast guard receives notice of a disabled covered
vessel or of a collision or near miss incident within twelve miles of
the shore of the state. The department shall negotiate an agreement
with the coast guard governing procedures for coast guard notification
to the state regarding disabled covered vessels and collisions and near
miss incidents.
(3) The department shall prepare a summary of the information
collected under this section and provide the summary to the regional
marine safety committees, the coast guard, and others in order to
identify problems with the marine transportation system.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) A tank vessel or cargo vessel is considered disabled if any of
the following occur:
(i) Any accidental or intentional grounding;
(ii) The total or partial failure of the main propulsion or primary
steering or any component or control system that causes a reduction in
the maneuvering capabilities of the vessel;
(iii) An occurrence materially and adversely affecting the vessel's
seaworthiness or fitness for service, including but not limited to,
fire, flooding, or collision with another vessel;
(iv) Any other occurrence that creates the serious possibility of
an oil spill or an occurrence that may result in such a spill.
(b) A barge is considered disabled if any of the following occur:
(i) The towing mechanism becomes disabled;
(ii) The towboat towing the barge becomes disabled through
occurrences defined in (a) of this subsection.
(c) A near miss incident is an incident that requires the pilot or
master of a covered vessel to take evasive actions or make significant
course corrections in order to avoid a collision with another ship or
to avoid a grounding as required by the international rules of the
road.
(5) Failure of any person to make a report under this section shall
not be used as the basis for the imposition of any fine or penalty
Sec. 10 RCW 88.46.090 and 2000 c 69 s 9 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, it shall
be unlawful for a covered vessel to enter the waters of the state
without an approved contingency plan required by ((RCW 88.46.060)) this
chapter, a spill prevention plan required by RCW 88.46.040, or
financial responsibility in compliance with chapter 88.40 RCW and the
federal oil pollution act of 1990. The department may deny entry onto
the waters of the state to any covered vessel that does not have a
required contingency or spill prevention plan or financial
responsibility.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, it shall
be unlawful for a covered vessel to transfer oil to or from an onshore
or offshore facility that does not have an approved contingency plan
required under RCW 90.56.210, a spill prevention plan required by RCW
90.56.200, or financial responsibility in compliance with chapter 88.40
RCW and the federal oil pollution act of 1990.
(3) The director may assess a civil penalty of up to ((one)) three
hundred thousand dollars against the owner or operator of a vessel who
is in violation of subsection (1) or (2) of this section. Each day
that the owner or operator of a covered vessel is in violation of this
section shall be considered a separate violation.
(4) It shall not be unlawful for a covered vessel to operate on the
waters of the state if:
(a) A contingency plan, a prevention plan, or financial
responsibility is not required for the covered vessel;
(b) A contingency plan and prevention plan has been submitted to
the department as required by this chapter and rules adopted by the
department and the department is reviewing the plan and has not denied
approval; or
(c) The covered vessel has entered state waters after the United
States coast guard has determined that the vessel is in distress.
(5) Any person may rely on a copy of the statement issued by the
department to RCW 88.46.060 as evidence that the vessel has an approved
contingency plan and the statement issued pursuant to RCW 88.46.040 as
evidence that the vessel has an approved spill prevention plan.
(6) Except for violations of subsection (1) or (2) of this section,
any person who violates the provisions of this chapter or rules or
orders adopted or issued pursuant ((thereto)) to this chapter, shall
incur, in addition to any other penalty as provided by law, a penalty
in an amount of up to ten thousand dollars a day for each violation.
Each violation is a separate offense, and in case of a continuing
violation, every day's continuance is a separate violation. Every act
of commission or omission which procures, aids, or abets in the
violation shall be considered a violation under the provisions of this
subsection and subject to penalty. The penalty amount shall be set in
consideration of the previous history of the violator and the severity
of the violation's impact on public health and the environment in
addition to other relevant factors. The penalty shall be imposed
pursuant to the procedures set forth in RCW 43.21B.300.
Sec. 11 RCW 90.48.366 and 2007 c 347 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The department, in consultation with the departments of fish
and wildlife and natural resources, and the parks and recreation
commission, shall adopt rules establishing a compensation schedule for
the discharge of oil in violation of this chapter and chapter 90.56
RCW. The amount of compensation assessed under this schedule shall be:
(a) For spills totaling one thousand gallons or more in any one
event, no less than ((one dollar)) three dollars per gallon of oil
spilled and no greater than ((one)) three hundred dollars per gallon of
oil spilled; and
(b) For spills totaling less than one thousand gallons in any one
event, no less than one dollar per gallon of oil spilled and no greater
than one hundred dollars per gallon of oil spilled.
(2) The compensation schedule adopted under this section shall
reflect adequate compensation for unquantifiable damages or for damages
not quantifiable at reasonable cost for any adverse environmental,
recreational, aesthetic, or other effects caused by the spill and shall
take into account:
(((1))) (a) Characteristics of any oil spilled, such as toxicity,
dispersibility, solubility, and persistence, that may affect the
severity of the effects on the receiving environment, living organisms,
and recreational and aesthetic resources;
(((2))) (b) The sensitivity of the affected area as determined by
such factors as:
(((a))) (i) The location of the spill;
(((b))) (ii) Habitat and living resource sensitivity;
(((c))) (iii) Seasonal distribution or sensitivity of living
resources;
(((d))) (iv) Areas of recreational use or aesthetic importance;
(((e))) (v) The proximity of the spill to important habitats for
birds, aquatic mammals, fish, or to species listed as threatened or
endangered under state or federal law;
(((f))) (vi) Significant archaeological resources as determined by
the department of archaeology and historic preservation; and
(((g))) (vii) Other areas of special ecological or recreational
importance, as determined by the department; and
(((3))) (c) Actions taken by the party who spilled oil or any party
liable for the spill that:
(((a))) (i) Demonstrate a recognition and affirmative acceptance of
responsibility for the spill, such as the immediate removal of oil and
the amount of oil removed from the environment; or
(((b))) (ii) Enhance or impede the detection of the spill, the
determination of the quantity of oil spilled, or the extent of damage,
including the unauthorized removal of evidence such as injured fish or
wildlife.
Sec. 12 RCW 90.56.370 and 2000 c 69 s 21 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Any person owning oil or having control over oil that enters
the waters of the state in violation of RCW 90.56.320 shall be strictly
liable, without regard to fault, for the damages to persons or
property, public or private, caused by such entry.
(2) Damages for which responsible parties are liable under this
section include loss of income, revenue, the means of producing income
or revenue, or an economic benefit resulting from an injury to or loss
of real or personal property or natural resources.
(3) Damages for which responsible parties are liable under this
section include damages provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this
section resulting from any action conducted in response to a violation
of RCW 90.56.320, including actions to collect, investigate, perform
surveillance over, remove, contain, treat, or disperse oil discharged
into waters of the state.
(4) In any action to recover damages resulting from the discharge
of oil in violation of RCW 90.56.320, the owner or person having
control over the oil shall be relieved from strict liability, without
regard to fault, if that person can prove that the discharge was caused
solely by:
(a) An act of war or sabotage;
(b) An act of God;
(c) Negligence on the part of the United States government; or
(d) Negligence on the part of the state of Washington.
(((3))) (5) The liability established in this section shall in no
way affect the rights which: (a) The owner or other person having
control over the oil may have against any person whose acts may in any
way have caused or contributed to the discharge of oil, or (b) the
state of Washington may have against any person whose actions may have
caused or contributed to the discharge of oil.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13 (1) The director of the department of
ecology must formally request that the federal government contribute to
the establishment of regional oil spill response equipment caches in
Washington to ensure adequate response capabilities during a multiple
spill event.
(2) This section expires December 31, 2014.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14 (1) The department of ecology shall prepare
a report to the legislature, consistent with RCW 43.01.036, that
identifies the lessons learned through the implementation of sections
3 through 6 of this act and presents any recommendations for changes in
the state oil spill preparation and response policies gleaned from the
lessons learned.
(2) In preparing the report required in this section, the
department of ecology shall consult with both the Puget Sound
partnership and a diverse selection of appropriate stakeholders
interested in tank vessel oil spill preparedness and response to be
invited to participate by the director of the department of ecology.
Any recommendations by the department of ecology must also identify any
relevant perspectives of the invited stakeholders on the cost-benefit
and cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches.
(3) The report required by this section must be delivered by
January 5, 2015.
(4) This section expires July 31, 2015.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 15 (1) The requirements of this act must be
met according to the compliance schedule provided in this subsection.
The owners or operators of all affected vessels must either have new
contingency plans approved by the department of ecology or updates to
existing contingency plans approved by the department of ecology for
the following plan components by the following dates:
(a) Compliance with section 3 of this act, relating to vessels of
opportunity response systems, by July 1, 2012;
(b) Compliance with section 5(3) of this act, relating to
multispectrum scanning technologies, by July 1, 2012;
(c) With the exception of section 5(3) of this act, compliance with
the remainder of section 5 of this act, relating to enhanced
contingency plan requirements for tank vessels, by January 1, 2013; and
(d) Other than sections 13 and 14 of this act and RCW 88.46.090 and
90.48.366, which become enforceable on the effective date of this
section, all other sections of this act must be complied with by
October 1, 2011.
(2) The department must comply with section 4 of this act, relating
to volunteer coordination systems, by July 1, 2014.
(3) In the initial implementation of sections 3 through 8 of this
act, the department of ecology shall consult with appropriate
stakeholders interested in tank vessel oil spill preparedness and
response, as invited to participate by the director of the department
of ecology. However, nothing in this subsection limits the ability of
the department of ecology to implement this act in the manner deemed
most appropriate by the department of ecology.
(4) Any rules the department of ecology deems necessary for the
implementation of this act must be adopted according to the compliance
schedule in subsection (1) of this section.
(5) This section expires July 31, 2014."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Changes the nature of the volunteer coordination system from being funded by tank vessels to being developed by the department of ecology; provides that response equipment required of tank vessels and regional vessels of opportunity response groups be tailored to the expected operating environment; identifies the six regions where a vessels of opportunity response system provided by an umbrella plan holder must operate; clarifies that the goals of the vessels of opportunity system are planning standards; removes wave height standards for required oil spill response equipment; clarifies that the response equipment made available to a vessels of opportunity system may be owned and maintained by the holder of the underlying contingency plan; provides for the incident commander or unified command of a spill response to have authority over the deploying of a vessels of opportunity or volunteer coordination system; clarifies that the additional drill requirements are intended to test the response capabilities of assets cited in multiple contingency plans; and limits the increase in natural resource damages to spills greater than 1000 gallons in size.