Tell Ecology we need stronger oil transfer regulations
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John,
People, southern resident orcas, marine mammals, salmon, sea birds – all that live in and around the Salish Sea deserve access to clean water.
But when dirty fuel companies transfer oil and other liquid fuels to ships, there’s a danger that something might go wrong, like a toxic spill. That’s why it's so critical to have rules to keep corporations from polluting our shared waters.
Right now, the Washington Department of Ecology is amending rules to improve oil transportation safety in several ways by strengthening facility oil handling standards, requiring vessels to give advance notice of oil transfer, and requiring containment measures during transfers.
Act now by sending a note to Ecology to keep our waters clean and safe!
In 2003, an oil transfer in Edmonds went awry, spilling 5,000 gallons of dirty oil into the Puget Sound. This single spill damaged 400 acres of the Suquamish Indian Reservation’s prime cultural and environmental lands, including salt-water marsh, old growth timber, beaches, and clam beds.
As a result of this incident, Washington State enacted requirements for advance notice of transfer operations and for pre-booming (deploying a physical barrier that will contain the oil if a spill occurs) during oil transfer operations. But, the draft rules have a big loophole: they still allow oil transfers, regardless of the volume, to occur without pre-booming.
Email Ecology today to make sure this rule is as strong as possible.
Thank you for taking action to improve the safety of oil transportation in Washington State,
Rein Attemann (He/Him)
Puget Sound Campaign Manager
Washington Conservation Action
PS: Ecology is holding two upcoming public hearings on Feb. 14 at 9:00AM, and Feb. 16 at 5:00PM. Please consider testifying on the issue. For more info or guidance on comments, please email me ([email protected]) and I will get in touch.
