An effort to reduce toxic threats to public health and safety
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) will test the ability of two industry-sponsored companies to respond to oil spills during an exercise on the Columbia River near Cathlamet on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011.
As part of the spill preparedness drill, Clean Rivers Cooperative and Marine Spill Response Corp. will deploy boats, oil-skimming equipment and oil-containment boom in the river Tuesday morning.
Ecology will observe and evaluate the exercise. No oil will be released.
“Being prepared to respond to oil spills is a critical part of Ecology’s effort to reduce toxic threats to public health and safety, and our environment,” said Ecology Spill Preparedness Manager Linda Pilkey-Jarvis. “The drill helps ensure that companies operating commercial vessels on the Columbia River can mount a rapid, aggressive and well coordinated response to a spill and help minimize harm to our shorelines.”
Clean Rivers Cooperative is a member-based, non-profit organization dedicated to responding to and preventing maritime oil spills. The Maritime Safety & Fire Association, one of its member companies based in Portland is helping sponsor the Oct. 11 drill.
The association maintains an umbrella oil-spill contingency plan covering more than 600 commercial vessels calling in the Columbia River.
The Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC) is a private, non-profit company supported by oil terminal and shipping company members. Four MSRC member companies also are sponsoring the drill – Polar Tankers, Alaska Tanker Co., Harley Marine Services, and SeaRiver Maritime.
Under state law all oil tankers, tank vessels, large cargo vessels and oil storage facilities must have oil spill contingency plans to operate in Washington. They also are required to regularly update and test their plans. By participating in the drill, the five companies are fulfilling state oil-spill preparedness requirements.
Source: Department of Ecology