WATCHING WASHINGTON CONGRESS NOTES THE BRAER SPILL

The recent Braer oil tanker spill in the Shetland Islands has the U.S. Congress reevaluating its spill regulations. A subcommittee of the House natural resources committee, formerly the interior committee, conducted an oversight hearing on the Shetlands accident (OGJ, Feb. 8, p. 37). A major concern of Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) was whether the U.S. Coast Guard is implementing rules quickly enough under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act, passed in reaction to the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill in

Feb. 16, 1993

3 min read

The recent Braer oil tanker spill in the Shetland Islands has the U.S. Congress reevaluating its spill regulations.

A subcommittee of the House natural resources committee, formerly the interior committee, conducted an oversight hearing on the Shetlands accident (OGJ, Feb. 8, p. 37). A major concern of Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) was whether the U.S. Coast Guard is implementing rules quickly enough under the 1990 Oil Pollution Act, passed in reaction to the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound.

ALASKA'S CONCERN

Two representatives of the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council went to the Shetlands to see the Braer spill.

One of them, Scott Sterling, told the House subcommittee hearing the accident underlines the need for an international system for monitoring tankers and helping those in distress.

He said, "Many of us believe the sequence of events that resulted in the Braer break-up-bad weather, loss of power, a tanker on the rocks-will account for the next big oil spill in Prince William Sound.

"Because of the Braer grounding, the Coast Guard in Valdez is evaluating the safety of tankers in Hinchinbrook Entrance, the gateway to Prince William Sound from the Gulf of Alaska. Conditions there rival the Shetlands for some of the worst weather in the world."

The Natural Resources Defense Council said, "Accidents may always occur in navigation, but accidents do not have to become disasters and the number of accidents can be reduced. Sound, proven oil spill prevention and minimization measures are available to make oil transportation safer, but they have not been implemented.

"Unfortunately, nearly 4 years after the Exxon Valdez and more than 2 years after passage of OPA, key prevention and response measures still have not been implemented and others have been watered down. In addition, important issues like pilotage were not adequately addressed in the act."

Rear Adm. Gene Henn, chief of maritime safety for the Coast Guard, disagreed. He said OPA has created safeguards that lower the risk of a Braer type accident in the U.S.

"I believe OPA has brought us unprecedented progress on the road to environmental protection in the 2 1/2 years since its enactment. Our posture in prevention and response capability has been significantly enhanced."

WHAT'S REQUIRED

The key witness at the hearing was M.E. Green, chief executive of the Shetland Islands Council.

He said, "There should be an international convention requiring tankers to comply with reporting requirements, passage planning, and agreed routes through vessel traffic management systems administered by coastal states.

"National governments should take steps to ensure that ships are properly operated in accordance with international conventions and regulations.

"In order to make this certain, they should create the financial climate which will remove the pressure for shipowners to operate at the margin, merely to stay in business."