National
New Legislation Introduced to Help Prevent Oil Spills
By HanNa Lee
Dec 9, 2007 - 8:55:54 PM

WASHINGTON D.C. —Two pieces of legislations were introduced Thursday by the U.S. Senators from California , Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.  The goal of these legislations is to prevent oil spills like the recent one in San Francisco Bay .

One piece of legislation introduced is the Boxer-Feinstein Maritime Emergency Prevention Act.  This bill will strengthen the authority, as well as the resources, of the Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service (VTS).  It will give them the authority to order ships to change their speed or course in the event of an emergency and during hazardous conditions.

According to Senator Boxer, “If the Coast Guard VTS sees a ship like the Cosco Busan, headed in the wrong direction and traveling too fast, they should have the authority to intervene. We're talking about situations where seconds and minutes can make all of the difference in the world-there isn't time for second-guessing and ambiguity."

The Cosco Busan oil spill last month occurred after the container ship collided with San Francisco ’s Bay Bridge .  Heavy fog at the time offered little visibility to those on the ship.

The Boxer-Feinstein Maritime Emergency Prevention Act also includes $20 million in funding for the VTS to update their technology.  It will require pilots to have their own navigational laptops as needed.

This will make it safer for ships that are traveling in the ports and along the coast.

"This legislation makes it clear that the Coast Guard has the authority to intervene if a ship is in imminent danger or distress,” said Senator Feinstein. “Therefore, there is no doubt that the captain of a port can stop a ship in the event of an emergency."

The other piece of legislation introduced is the Oil Spill Accountability Act.  

The 1989 Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund created liability limits for clean up costs and other damages in the event of an oil spill.  The limits differ according to the type of ship used.  Under this legislation, the liability limit for double hulled tankers is $1900 per gross ton while the liability limit for single hulled tankers is $3000 per gross ton.  The liability limit for cargo ships is at $950 per gross ton.  As cargo ships have increased in size and can now carry about as much oil as tanker, they have similar environmental risks as the tankers.

Taking this into account, the Oil Accountability Act seeks to raise the liability limits for cargo ships to the same level as oil tankers, and in doing so, increases the incentive to use double hulled ships, which are less likely to be involved in oil spills.