Ecology contingency plan rulemaking is in the final stages.
The rule should take effect in mid-January 2020. You can go to their website for more information. MFSA and our contractor, Clean Rivers Cooperative, will ensure we take all necessary steps to be in compliance with state regulations. We’ll keep you updated!
Threat of Spill reporting requirements
Washington Ecology updated their guidance document on their expectations for reports of threats of spills. Please take a look at the fact sheet below to make sure your vessels are in compliance.
FAQ section of MFSA’s website.
The MFSA website features a FAQ section. Please let us know if there are any other topics that would be good to address.
2019 incidents in review…
It has been a strange year… There were a few “standard” type responses – A vessel at dock in Vancouver had a hydraulic fluid spill and a very small amount reached the water. A small lube oil spill occurred that was quickly contained by the dock workers. We responded to an outbound loaded ship that had a grounding due to loss of steering. Nothing major.
Then there were the non-standard responses. I would say miscommunication was key in both of them. One vessel was at anchor in Astoria when sheen was noticed in the anchorage. The USCG went to check it out and in their communication with the vessel made a statement that implied that they needed to activate the Plan. It was later determined that the vessel was not the source, but we had already deployed equipment and people to the scene.
Another response was even more confusing. A vessel captain called to activate the Plan because there was a sheen around their vessel. Again, we deploy response assets to the berth. When the crew arrived, the vessel was just sailing! What the captain failed to explain was that nearly three hours had passed between observing sheen and when he called us, AND the facility and the state had already responded.
I will publish complete statistics for 2019 after the first of the year, so look for that next quarter.