H-1708              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4016

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Fisch and Hargrove

Read first time 2/18/87 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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, There are approximately five hundred oil spills that contaminate Washington's waters each year; and

          WHEREAS, The 1986 Washington State Legislature mandated that the State Department of Ecology appoint an Oil Spill Advisory Committee made up of state and local government agencies, maritime and oil industries, environmental groups, and Indian tribes; and

          WHEREAS, The Oil Spill Advisory Committee studied ways by which spills can be prevented and by which spills can be cleaned up more quickly and effectively, and made several recommendations to the Department of Ecology; and

          WHEREAS, One recommendation states that the Department of Ecology and the Division of Emergency Management should collaborate with local governments to develop local contingency plans, response agreements, and plans for regular training exercises; and

          WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature agrees that effective local expertise is crucial to the prevention and cleanup of oil spills; and

          WHEREAS, The Committee determined that funding for local county involvement in oil spill response is needed;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress of the United States authorize funding for a comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation program, which would plan research into improved local oil spill response and which would provide local and county reimbursement for oil spill cleanup costs.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, 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.