H-2684              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4022

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Cole, Belcher, Wood, Rust, Brumsickle, Leonard, Nutley, Spanel, Basich, Fraser, Dorn, Todd, Anderson, Kremen, Brough and K. Wilson

Read first time 4/6/89 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The recent grounding of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska's Prince William Sound caused over ten million gallons of crude oil to spill into the marine environment; and

          WHEREAS, The spilled oil now covers more than one thousand square miles of highly productive bays, inlets, and marine areas annually used by the commercial fishing industry; and

          WHEREAS, The spilled oil may create a significant adverse impact on the salmon hatcheries and the natural salmon runs originating in and around Prince William Sound; and

          WHEREAS, Washington fish processors in Alaska process over six hundred forty-five million dollars worth of salmon alone; and

          WHEREAS, Over seven hundred fifty Washington salmon vessels fish in Alaska waters, catching fish valued at over one hundred million dollars annually; and

          WHEREAS, Unless the federal government takes immediate actions to assist the state of Alaska in diminishing the adverse environmental effect of the oil spill, the Washington economy will be severely impacted;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Washington congressional delegation use every possible measure to encourage the President of the United States to provide the state of Alaska all available federal resources necessary to control and diminish the effect of the oil spilled in Prince William Sound, and to urge, with equal fervor, that the President of the United States declare an emergency in the state of Alaska due to the spilled oil.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.