WA state lawmakers want better oil spill response

By PHUONG LE

SEATTLE

A state legislator wants to require oil tankers to have better cleanup equipment and improve response coordination in the event of a catastrophic oil spill in Washington waters.

The BP oil spill that marred the Gulf Coast highlights the need to protect Washington state waters, said Rep. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, who plans to introduce a bill Wednesday.

"There's a general concern that we're susceptible to an oil spill ourselves," she said Tuesday, noting that 4,000 tankers carrying 15 billion gallons of oil travel Washington waters each year.

Rolfes and others want oil tankers to invest in equipment that can clean up oil in high waves and heavy currents, and detect oil at night. The proposal also would require oil companies to recruit commercial vessels to aid in oil spill response.

Frank Holmes, director of the Northwest region for the Western States Petroleum Association, said Tuesday he had not reviewed the proposal.

"Washington state already has one of the best spill systems in the country and we've seen a significant improvement in reductions of oil spills," he said.

Meanwhile, a presidential panel investigating the Gulf oil spill released a final report Tuesday saying more needs to be done to reduce the chances of another large-scale disaster. BP PLC's April 20 well blowout and rig explosion killed 11 people and spewed millions of gallons of crude into the sea.

Rolfes said her proposal addresses lessons learned from that oil spill, including setting up a system to manage local emergency workers and oil recovery volunteers. The companies would pay for the measures.

Curt Hart, a spokesman with the Washington Department of Ecology, said the agency has broadly supported the proposed measures for years.

"These are things that make perfect sense," he said.

Rolfes said she believes the state is well protected against moderate oil spills -- those of up to 10,000 gallons -- but would be ill prepared to handle more massive spills. Unlike in the Gulf Coast, where it took time for oil to reach the shoreline, "in Puget Sound you don't have the luxury of waiting. It's like a big bath tub," she said.

The last major spill in Washington waters occurred in 2004, when the oil tanker Polar Texas, owned by ConocoPhillips, spilled 7,200 gallons of crude oil into Dalco Passage near Tacoma, Hart said.

The Washington Department of Ecology estimates that a major spill in state waters could result in nearly $11 billion in economic losses, along with the environmental damage.

"It's time for the industry to step up to the plate and be a part of the solution," said Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila, will be co-sponsoring the bill.