25 years of collaboration: the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force 1989–2014

ABSTRACT Two significant west coast spill incidents, the barge Nestucca spill in B.C. in 1988 and the tanker Exxon Valdez spill of 1989 catalyzed the formal creation of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, a union of Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Hawaii joined 12 years later and for the past 25 years the Task Force member organizations have collaborated on numerous projects and policy initiatives that have significantly influenced how the west coast prevents, prepares for and responds to oil spills. This paper will: 1) Provide an overview of how the Task Force functions and how it fosters collaboration between industry, agencies, and other stakeholders in the region; 2) Highlight key projects and accomplishments from the past two decades, including Transboundary coordination, vessel traffic risk studies, mutual aid agreements, and federal regulatory oversight; and how these projects were initiated and carried out; 3) Offer examples of how the Task Force is looking at challenges ahead, such as the shifting landscape of energy transportation and emerging fuels in the region, and what this means for spill prevention and response.

IMPROVING REGIONAL RESPONSE: PLAN HOLDERS, RESPONDERS, AND GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION ON MUTUAL AID

ABSTRACT The States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force adopted a Mutual Aid Plan in July 1993 in which the members agreed to expedite all decisions relating to mutual aid requests among themselves. However, the plan was limited to reciprocal efforts by the task force member agencies and did not affect private sector response resources. It was understood that in order to cascade response resources into other jurisdictions, certain task force members might have to release some local facility and vessel owners (plan holders) from full compliance with their response plans. To address this problem, the task force established a Mutual Aid Workgroup that consisted of government and industry participants, and it tasked its members to evaluate options and recommend policies and procedures that would maximize the opportunity for rapid mutual aid. Based on the recommendations of this work group, a 1996 Mutual Aid Agreement was signed that established policies and implementation procedures whereby mutual aid, if requested through the unified command, can be preapproved during responses to West Coast spills. The agreement also includes related recommendations regarding private sector agreements, equipment inventories, and transboundary spill response.