Washington Tug-Escort Rule to Improve Ship Safety in the Puget Sound 

On November 20^th, six years after the Washington State legislature passed the 2019 Safety of Oil Transportation Act, the State Board of Pilotage Commissioners adopted a new rule requiring tug escorts for oil tankers smaller than previously required as they navigate portions of the Puget Sound region known as the Salish Sea. 

By requiring a powerful tugboat nearby to assist a disabled oil barge or small tanker, the rule closes a critical safety gap by reducing the risk of a grounding and resulting oil spill. This measure, previously only required of large oil tankers, will go a long way to help protect the Salish Sea and all those dependent on it, including the 74 members of endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs). 

Since publishing its 2016 report Tar Sands/Dilbit Crude Oil Movements Within the Salish Sea, Friends of the Earth has raised public attention to the fact that more than 1000 barges, each carrying over 7 million gallons of oil, transit the Salish Sea annually. This outreach played a key role in the development of the state legislation. We were then subsequently appointed to serve as the environmental representative on the Oil Transportation Safety Committee (OTSC) established to develop the regulations.

In September 2020, FoE wrote a blog celebrating passage of the legislation that instituted the new tug escort requirement on a temporary basis. Due, in large part, to our continued work over the past five years we were able to ensure that the rule became permanent. In fact, we were even able to expand the area in which the new reply applies.

Under the regulation, oil tankers between 5,000 and 40,000 deadweight tons and barges and articulated tug barges greater than 5,000 deadweight tons will be required to be escorted by a tug in Rosario Strait as well as waters to its north and east.  

In its press release announcing the establishment of the new rule, the Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners stated, “The Board determined that the rule meets the standard of ‘best achievable protection,’ striking a balance between strong environmental safeguards, technical feasibility, and minimizing economic impacts from the changes.” 

The public can review the meeting materials and public comments at Ecology’s Board of Pilotage Commissioners Tug Escort Rulemaking (Chapter 363-116 WAC) or the Board of Pilotage Commissioners webpage.