Sen. Cantwell, state legislators say time is right for Neah Bay rescue tug

Van De Wege bill slated for executive action this week

February 16, 2009

OLYMPIA – A catastrophic oil spill in Puget Sound would deal a crippling blow to both the environment and the economy of Washington state. After years of struggling to fund a rescue tug that would help prevent such a spill, state legislators are close to passing legislation that would keep a tug stationed at Neah Bay year-round.

House Bill 1409, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D- Sequim) is scheduled for executive session this week in the House Ecology and Parks Committee. It would require certain vessels, such as oil tankers, cargo vessels, and cruise ships, to fund a rescue tug that would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond to incidents. Senator Kevin Ranker (D – San Juan) is sponsoring companion legislation in the state Senate.

“The question is no longer whether we need a tug; it’s how to pay for it,” Van De Wege said in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Van De Wege was joined by Senator Maria Cantwell, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, state Senators Jim Hargrove and Kevin Ranker, as well as members of the Makah Indian Tribe. Senator Cantwell, who is pursuing rescue tug legislation in the U.S. Congress, praised legislators for taking action this session to protect one of the state’s most valuable resources – Puget Sound.

Others who attended the press conference agreed that Washington’s robust maritime economy makes a permanent rescue tug a necessity.

“Each year, more than 15 billion gallons of oil pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca– on board tankers, barges, freighters, Navy vessels and cruise ships,” said Puget Sound Partnership executive director David Dicks.

In 1991, a collision near Cape Flattery between a Japanese fishing vessel and another ship caused 100,000 gallons of oil and diesel to spill. The heaviest oiling occurred along the Olympia National Park shoreline and the Makah Indian Reservation. The incident did not happen during the stormy winter months but rather in July, underscoring the need for year-round coverage.

“Rep. Van De Wege’s bill is a positive step forward for oil spill prevention, and I plan to move it out of committee this week,” said Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), who chairs the House Ecology and Parks Committee.

With the state facing an unprecedented budget gap this session, Van De Wege the taxpayers can no longer foot the bill for the tug.

“If there is a spill, taxpayers are on the hook for the cleanup,” Van De Wege said. “They shouldn’t also have to pay for prevention. This bill doesn’t single out a particular industry. It’s fair, it’s equitable, and it is the insurance policy we need for our waterways.”

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Watch the press conference (courtesty of TVW):