Cantwell Secures Key Northwest Provisions in Coast Guard Legislation
Oil Spill Trust Fund Strengthened; Ice Breaker Healy to Remain in Seattle; $100 Million Secured for Seattle-Based Polar Ice Breaker FleetCantwell Calls for Hearing on East Coast Renewable Energy Project
WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee’s Fisheries and Coast Guard panel, praised the inclusion of key provisions for the Pacific Northwest in legislation to fund the Coast Guard during 2006 and 2007. The legislation, finalized Thursday, boosts oil spill liability caps and funds Seattle’s Coast Guard infrastructure.
“Strengthening the oil spill trust fund is a win for the Puget Sound and all Americans who live and work near our nation’s waterways,” said Cantwell. “We need to make sure our maritime communities and economy won't get stuck footing the bill in the tragic event of a spill. Raising liability caps will ensure that polluters, not taxpayers, carry more of the cleanup burden. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund provides a critical safety net, especially when the responsible party hasn’t been identified or the source is in dispute, as with last year’s Dalco Passage spill.”
Cantwell, a member of the panel appointed to work out differences between House and Senate versions of the 2006-2007 Coast Guard Authorization bill, helped secure key provisions for the Pacific Northwest, including an increase in polluter liability. The legislation increases polluter liability caps for the Oil Spill Trust Fund, which funds spill cleanup. Current limits, which have gone unmodified since 1990, are far below actual cleanup costs.
The legislation also requires the Coast Guard to maintain and operate the polar ice breaker fleet out of Seattle, and authorizes $100 million for fleet operation and maintenance. Based in Seattle, the fleet employs approximately 300 area residents. The Coast Guard must also develop a long-term plan for maintaining and upgrading the icebreaker fleet, helping to ensure the program’s viability and safeguarding local jobs. Cantwell’s work will ensure that the Healy remains home-ported in Seattle. A preliminary report provided by the Coast Guard revealed that a proposal to move the ship would cost between $22 million and $57 million. Seattle’s Todd Pacific Shipyards has long-term contracts for all three Coast Guard icebreakers.
“We were able to keep the Healy home-ported in Seattle and get $100 million for operation and maintenance of the Coast Guard’s Seattle-based polar ice breaker fleet,” continued Cantwell. “Washington state has a long maritime history; today, we helped secure its future,”
The 2006-2007 Coast Guard Authorization bill also includes funds to improve Puget Sound Coast Guard facilities, including $3 million to replace an administrative and operations building on Pier 36 in Seattle damaged in the Nisqually earthquake, and $10 million for an overhaul of the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic System to improve communication and maritime safety. The Vessel Traffic System manages over 200,000 vessel trips every year and assists in 150 search and rescue operations from Bellingham south to Olympia and as far west as the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The legislation directs the Coast Guard to transfer a portion of the Point Wilson Light Station in Port Townsend to Washington State Parks, consider locating Coast Guard resources and personnel at Naval Station Everett, and report on the feasibility and cost savings potential of using biodiesel fuel in Coast Guard vehicles and vessels. Expanding maritime biofuel use could help reduce Elliott Bay air quality concerns, jumpstart Washington state’s fledging biodiesel industry, and help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
Cantwell noted her objection to language about a renewable energy project on the East Coast and called for an Energy Committee hearing on the matter. To view the letter click here
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