Passed by the House April 13, 2011 Yeas 62   FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 5, 2011 Yeas 47   BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1186 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
Approved April 20, 2011, 1:43 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 20, 2011 Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/22/11.
AN ACT Relating to requirements under the state's oil spill program; 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 a new section; prescribing penalties; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 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. 2 A new section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department shall evaluate and update planning standards for
oil spill response equipment required under contingency plans required
by this chapter, including aerial surveillance, in order to ensure
access in the state to equipment that represents the best achievable
protection to respond to a worst case spill and provide for continuous
operation of oil spill response activities to the maximum extent
practicable and without jeopardizing crew safety, as determined by the
incident commander or the unified command.
(2) The department shall by rule update the planning standards at
five-year intervals to ensure the maintenance of best available
protection over time. Rule updates to covered nontank vessels shall
minimize potential impacts to discretionary cargo moved through the
state.
(3) The department shall evaluate and update planning standards for
tank vessels by December 31, 2012.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new
section is added to chapter 88.46 RCW
to read as follows:
By December 31, 2012, the department shall complete rule making for
purposes of improving the effectiveness of the vessels of opportunity
system to participate in spill response.
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) The department is responsible for requiring 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 required 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 required 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. 6 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 7 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. 7 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 holder that enrolls 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) Any owner or operator of a covered vessel having a worst case
discharge volume that exceeds the maximum volume covered by an approved
umbrella plan holder may enroll with the umbrella plan holder if the
owner or operator of the covered vessel maintains an agreement with
another entity to provide supplemental equipment sufficient to meet the
requirements of this chapter.
(3) The department must approve an umbrella plan holder that covers
vessels having a worst case discharge volume that exceeds the maximum
volume if:
(a) The department determines that the umbrella plan holder should
be approved for a lower discharge volume;
(b) The vessel owner or operator provides documentation to the
umbrella plan holder authorizing the umbrella plan holder to activate
additional resources sufficient to meet the worst case discharge volume
of the vessel; and
(c) The department has previously approved a plan that provides
access to the same resources identified in (3)(b) to meet the
requirements of this chapter for worst case discharge volumes equal to
or greater than the worst case discharge volume of the vessel.
(4) The umbrella plan holder must describe in the plan how the
activation of additional resources will be implemented and provide the
department the ability to review and inspect any documentation that the
umbrella plan holder relies on to enroll a vessel with a worst case
discharge that exceeds the plan's maximum volume.
Sec. 8 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:
(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 regionalmarine safety committees, the coast guard, and others in order to
identify problems with the marine transportation system.))
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.
(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. 9 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) Persistent oil recovered from the surface of 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. 10 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, net 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 the use and deployment of chemical dispersants
or from in situ burning in response to a violation of RCW 90.56.320.
(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. 11 (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.