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HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2009-014 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2009 - 132 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator: tic Q) 2/18/2009 2/24/2009 Council e Division Head: Dept. Head: Prosecutor: Purchasing/Budget: Executive: TITLE OF DOCUMENT: Joint Res WC Council & Bham City Council support WA Senate Bill 5344-2009-10 ATTACHMENTS: Resolution SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) This resolution supports the efforts of members of the WA ST Legislature to pass SB 5344-2009-10, establishing an emergency response system for the Strait of Juan de Fuca. COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION:: 2 / 24 / 2009 : Council Approved 4- 2 , Brenner abstained Res . 2009-014 Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Res . 2009 - 014 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County 's website at: www. co. whatcom. wa. us/council. CITY OF BELLINGHAM RESOLUTION NO. 2009 - 06 WHATCOM COUNTY RESOLUTION NO. 2009-014 JOINT WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL - BELLINGHAM CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF WASHINGTON STATE SENATE BILL 5344-2009-10 WHEREAS, reducing the risk of a large oil spill in our waters is critical to the health, safety and welfare of all Whatcom County citizens; and WHEREAS, more than 15 billion gallons of oil are transported by vessels passing close to our waterways each year; and WHEREAS, the potential devastation from a large oil spill poses a grave threat to the local economy; and WHEREAS, a year-round multi-mission rescue tug positioned at Neah Bay would be a good step towards providing the needed level of protection; and WHEREAS, we ask that this legislation be passed and go into effect as soon as possible; NOW THEREFORE , BE IT RESOLVED BY EACH GOVERNMENT LISTED BELOW: that they support the efforts of members of the Washington State Legislature to pass SB 5344-2009- 10, establishing an emergency response system for the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Resolution in Support of SB 5344-2009-10 (1 ) THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM : PASSED by the Bellingham City Council this c43' day. of, 4_oL` ` , 2009 . A(30( Cit Co ncil President APPROVED by me this 23rd day of February , 2009 . Ani 1. A Mayor ATTEST: t vamp!" F ce Direct • r APPROVED AS TO FORM : Offic f the Cit Attorney Y WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL : PASSED by the Aawm County Council this 24th day of February , 2009. g <G 0 M • b-. 1 of O� �o ; = •rnty Coun • 'l hair,, Seth Fleetwood ZSc 1-- • r- ATTEganniz POSIT i - - rk'©f - • ni it s /4/// 11 l l l l 11 %“'\`` APPR ED AS TO FO 4-ask Whatcom County Attorney Resolution in Support of SB 5344-2009- 10 (2) SENATE BILL REPORT SB 5344 . As of February 11 , 2009 Title: An act relating to providing an emergency response system for the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Brief Description : Providing an emergency response system for the Strait .of Juan de Fuca. Sponsors: Senators Ranker, Swecker, Rockefeller, Man, Hargrove, Pridemore, Fraser, Shin, McDermott and Kilmer. Brief History : . Committee Activity: Environment, Water & Energy: 2/ 11 /09 . SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, WATER & ENERGY Staff: Sam Thompson (786-7413) Background : The state has funded a response tug at Neah Bay since 1999 to protect the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Washington's outer coast from potentially catastrophic oil spills. The response tug renders aid to all vessels if they become disabled. Certain "covered" vessels — ships designed to carry oil as cargo and large passenger and cargo vessels — are required to file contingency plans with the Department of Ecology (DOE) describing how they will contain and remediate potential oil spills. Operating without an approved contingency plan, or in violation of a plan's provisions, is grounds for criminal and civil penalties. . Summary of Bill : Contingency plans for covered vessels entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca west of Port Angeles must include a catastrophic event response provision. The provision would require the vessels to contract with a multi -mission tug stationed in Neah Bay and be available for response any hour of any day that the vessel is located in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca. A contracted tug must meet certain minimum requirements, including the ability to maneuver a fully-loaded tanker of 180,000 ton capacity in severe weather, deploy a high seas boom, store oil, and serve as a salvage platform. A contracted tug must also be equipped with a certain type of hook and line and, after five years, be equipped with a specified integrated fire fighting system . This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor doers it constitute a statement of legislative intent. Senate Bill Report - 1 - SB 5344 Covered vessels must contract with a qualifying tug by July 1 , 2010 . A vessel may satisfy the requirement by directly contracting with a tug operator or through a private organization or cooperative providing umbrella coverage for multiple vessels. Vessels must submit evidence of compliance with the requirement as part of contingency plans submitted to DOE . Vessels may file addendums to previously-submitted plans evidencing compliance with the requirement. DOE must provide for practice drills for contracting tugs. The drills must emphasize a tug's ability to respond to a potentially worst case spill scenario. The requirement to contract with tug does not apply if the federal government implements similar tug escort requirements or requires a rescue tug to be stationed at Neah Bay. Upon implementation of federal standards, DOE must prepare agency request legislation repealing the requirement. Appropriation : None. Fiscal Note: Not requested. Committee/Commission/Task Force Created : No. Effective Date: Ninety days after. adjournment of session in which bill is passed. Senate Bill Report - 2 - SB 5344