E2SHB 1186 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 04/05/2011
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 will benefit from
additional preparation 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 prudent 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 nondedicated
boats and operators, including fishing and other 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 group
of nondedicated vessels participating in a vessels of opportunity
response system to respond when needed and available 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 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) In addition to meeting the 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.
(2)(a) The owner or operator of a tank vessel operating in
Washington waters 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) 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 and be underway within twelve hours of
activation by the incident commander or unified command, 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 response 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 nondedicated vessels
to satisfy the following planning standards:
(i) By July 1, 2012, two vessels are available to respond at any
one time;
(ii) By July 1, 2013, four vessels are available to respond at any
one time; and
(iii) On and after July 1, 2014, six vessels are available to
respond at any one time.
(3) A vessels of opportunity response system must ensure the
following:
(a) Participating vessels have access to and can be rapidly
equipped, consistent with subsections (4) and (5) of this section, with
dedicated response equipment including equipment as provided in section
5(1)(a) of this act. The response equipment made available to vessels
of opportunity response groups may vary among individual response
groups based on the expected operating environment where the equipment
will be utilized. While vessels of opportunity response groups must
have access to equipment as provided in section 5(1)(a) of this act,
the equipment utilized by individual vessels may vary within each group
and not all vessels must have access to such equipment during a spill
response;
(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 appropriate personal protection gear; and
(ii) Properly trained to utilize response equipment as provided in
section 5(1)(a) of this act. Crew training may be limited to safe
response equipment utilization and deployment and not the maintenance
of response equipment.
(4) Nothing in this section requires prepositioning response
equipment that would require a major refit of a participating vessel of
opportunity or dedicated response vessel.
(5) The dedicated response equipment made available to a regional
vessels of opportunity group 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.
(6)(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 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, including the San Juan Islands;
(iv) Central Puget Sound;
(v) Southern Puget Sound; and
(vi) The mouth of the Columbia river.
(b) 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.
(7) Each regional vessel of opportunity response group must
complete 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 the actual number of participating vessels is
sufficient to meet the planning standards provided in subsection (2)(c)
of this section. 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.
(8) 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 responsibility of the designated incident commander or
the unified command.
(9) The department may implement and enforce the requirements of
this section without adopting rules.
(10) The department shall adjust requirements provided in this
section where the department determines that compliance with a
requirement is not practicable.
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.
(3) 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 any state
agency, 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.
(4) 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) Response systems that represent best available protection and
are located in close proximity to vessels of opportunity response
groups as provided in section 3 of this act. The response systems
must: (i) Be capable of oil recovery in currents of three knots and in
adverse weather normally experienced in the area of operation for an
individual vessel of opportunity response group; and (ii) be composed,
at minimum, of on-water oil collection, oil skimming, and on-water
storage equipment. Equipment required under this section must
supplement equipment required under subsections (2) and (3) of this
section. Nothing in this subsection requires prepositioning response
equipment that would require a major refit of a participating vessel of
opportunity or dedicated response vessel; and
(b) Access to aerial remote sensing technology that enhances the
ability of response personnel 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 a response request.
(2) 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 jeopardizing crew safety, as determined by the incident
commander or the unified command.
(3) In reviewing tank vessel contingency plans to measure
compliance with this subsection and subsection (2) of 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 jeopardizing crew safety; including,
being capable of oil recovery in currents of three knots and in adverse
weather normally experienced in the area of operation. These response
systems must include on-water oil collection, oil skimming, and on-water storage equipment, and trained personnel representing best
achievable protection. 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
(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 considering currents, wave heights, weather conditions, and
the safety of response personnel.
(4)(a) The department may implement and enforce the requirements of
subsection (1) of this section without adopting rules.
(b) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
specific purpose, the department shall adopt rules specifying
requirements under subsections (2) and (3) of this section.
(c) The department may not revise standards to require equipment
upgrades under this section more than once in any five-year period.
(5) The department shall adjust requirements provided in this
section where the department determines that compliance with a
requirement is not practicable.
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) Drills ordered under this section 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) Drills ordered under this section may be incorporated into
other drill requirements under this chapter to avoid increasing the
number of drills and equipment deployments otherwise required.
(4) Each successful 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 within one hour of
the onset of that emergency. 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 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) Oil recovered from the water within forty-eight hours of a
discharge must be deducted from the total spill volume for purposes of
determining the amount of compensation assessed under the compensation
schedule.
(3) 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. 11 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. 12 (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. 13 (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. 14 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) If necessary, the department shall adjust the requirements
provided in section 3 of this act to ensure that the documented costs
of compliance with that section, above and beyond the costs of
compliance with this chapter and rules of the department on the
effective date of this section, do not exceed ten million dollars in
any one year. For the purposes of this subsection, "costs of
compliance" with section 3 of this act are direct operating costs, such
as training and drills, and do not include any equipment requirements.
The maximum cost figure must be adjusted for inflation using the
consumer price index as calculated by the United States department of
labor.
(2) If necessary, the department shall adjust the requirements
provided in section 5 of this act to ensure that the documented costs
of compliance with that section, above and beyond the costs of
compliance with this chapter and rules of the department on the
effective date of this section, do not exceed thirty million dollars in
any five-year period. For the purposes of this subsection, "costs of
compliance" with section 5 of this act are capital equipment costs and
direct operating costs for the equipment. The maximum cost figure must
be adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index as calculated
by the United States department of labor.
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 by July 1, 2012;
(b) Compliance with section 5(1)(a) of this act by July 1, 2012;
(c) Compliance with section 5(1)(b) of this act by July 1, 2013;
(d) With the exception of section 5(1) of this act, compliance with
the remainder of section 5 of this act by July 1, 2013; and
(e) Other than section 12 of this act and RCW 90.56.370 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 of ecology must comply with section 4 of this
act by July 1, 2014.
(3) In the initial implementation of sections 3 through 6 and 8 of
this act and RCW 88.46.060, 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 is required to adopt under
this act or deems necessary to adopt for the implementation of this act
must be adopted in time to facilitate the submittal and approval of new
or updated contingency plans according to the compliance schedule in
subsection (1) of this section.
(5) This section expires July 31, 2014."
E2SHB 1186 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 04/05/2011
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "program;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 88.46.060, 88.46.100, 90.48.366, and 90.56.370; reenacting and amending RCW 88.46.010; adding new sections to chapter 88.46 RCW; creating new sections; prescribing penalties; and providing expiration dates."