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SENATE
JOINT MEMORIAL 8004
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Passed
Legislature - 2002 Regular Session
State of Washington 57th
Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/12/2001.
Referred to Committee on Environment, Energy & Water.
Petitioning Congress to appropriate support for an oil spill prevention tugboat
in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
TO
THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. 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 marine waters located in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the State of
Washington and Canada are some of the most pristine and diverse marine waters
in the United States and include irreplaceable natural resources; and
WHEREAS,
The area includes such national treasures as the Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary and the Olympic National Park, for which the federal government acts
as the trustee thereof; and
WHEREAS,
The area is home to five federally recognized Indian reservations for which the
federal government has the responsibility of protecting treaty rights over
tribal fishing; and
WHEREAS,
The area is the habitat for several threatened and endangered species as
designated by the federal government; and
WHEREAS,
The marine waters are used by a large portion of the federal government's
strategic naval fleet, which poses a risk of oil spills; and
WHEREAS,
The marine waters are used for transportation of petroleum products that are
used to meet the energy needs in the Western United States; and
WHEREAS,
These marine waters are of great environmental and economic importance to not
only the State of Washington, but also to the people of Canada and the United
States; and
WHEREAS,
The marine vessel traffic on these waters presents risks of accidents and oil
spills that would be devastating to the environment and to the economy; and
WHEREAS,
The safety of these waters is currently substantially improved on a temporary
basis by an oil spill prevention tugboat stationed at the westward end of the
Strait, the cost of which is currently borne solely by the State of Washington;
NOW,
THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress appropriate
sufficient budgetary support to permanently station an oil spill prevention
tugboat, of adequate size, and with rescue, fire fighting, spill response, and
lifesaving capabilities, at the westward end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Honorable George W. 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.
