Shetland Islands oil spill : oversight hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, first session, on Shetland Islands oil spill and its implications for oil transportation and spill response in the United States, hearing held in Washington, DC, February 4, 1993

United States. Congress. House. Committee On Natural Resources. Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations

Sujets

• Oil spill
• Petroleum

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 26
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

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SHETLAND ISLANDS OIL SPILL
Y 4, R 31/3:103-3
Shetland Islands Dil SpilL Serial
JIHT HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TfflRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
SHETLAND ISLANDS OIL SPILL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR OIL
TRANSPORTATION AND SPILL RESPONSE IN THE UNITED STATES
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC
FEBRUARY 4, 1993
103-3Serial No.
Printed for the use of the ComqiittfirtAnamittMtAii Natural ResourcesRe
^*t993
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFi^ftJtlffi^^hf/^y
70-644 WASHINGTON : 1993
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent ofDocuments, Congressional Sales Office, Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041252-8SHETLAND ISLANDS OIL SPILL
103-3Y 4. R 31/3:
Sfaetlaixt Islands Dll Spilli Serial
JHT HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
NATURAL RESOURCES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TfflRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
SHETLAND ISLANDS OIL SPILL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR OIL
TRANSPORTATION AND SPILL RESPONSE EST THE UNITED STATES
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC
FEBRUARY 19934,
SeHal No. 103-3
Printed for the use of the CommittM>An Natural Resoiirces
~
*MM-»* am .
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING Ol
70-644 WASHINGTON : 1993
For sale the Government Printing Officeby U.S.
Superintendent ofDocuments, Congressional Sales Office, Washington,DC 20402
0-16-041252-8ISBNCOMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
GEORGE MILLER, California, Chairman
PHILIP R. SHARP, Indiana DON YOUNG, Alaska,
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts Ranking Republican Member
AUSTIN J. MURPHY, Pennsylvania JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah
NICK JOE RAHALL II, West Virginia BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH, Nevada
BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota ELTON GALLEGLY, California
PAT WILLIAMS, Montana ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon
RON DE LUGO, Virgin Islands CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming
TennesseeSAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr.,
LEHMAN, CaUfomia JOEL HEFLEY, ColoradoRICHARD H.
New JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, CaliforniaBILL RICHARDSON, Mexico
PETERA DeFAZIO, Oregon WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana
Samoa KEN CALVERT, California
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota SCOTT McINNIS, Colorado
LARRY LAROCCO, Idaho RICHARD W. POMBO. California
NEIL ABERCROMBIE. Hawaii JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California
CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto Rico
KARAN ENGLISH, Arizona
SHEPHERD, UtahKAREN
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia
MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York
ROBERTA UNDERWOOD, Guam
BERMAN, CaliforniaHOWARD
LANE EVANS, Illinois
HawaiiPATSY T. MINK,
THOMAS J. BARLOW III, Kentucky M. BARRETT, Wisconsin
Dan Beard, DirectorStaff
Meltzer, General CounselRichard
Daniel Val Kish, Republican DirectorStaff
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
GEORGE MILLER, California, Chairman
SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon,
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California Ranking Republican Member
NATHAN DEAL, Georgia JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah
NevadaPHILIP R. SHARP, Indiana BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH,
BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee
CaliforniaRICHARD H. LEHMAN, California T. DOOLITTLE,
PETER A. DeFAZIO, Oregon WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
KEN CALVERT, CaliforniaKARAN ENGLISH, Arizona
W. POMBO, CaliforniaKAREN SHEPHERD, Utah * RICHARDp
MAURICE New JAY DICKEY, ArkansasD. HINCHEY. York
NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Ife^aii
LANE EVANS. Illinois
THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin
Beard, S<a^ Director,. VIOan
C •'; jEtTREY P. Petrich, Counsel
JUUE Petro, Professional StaffMember
Linda Gordon Stevens, Clerk
Ted Case, Republican CojisuUdnt on Oversight and Investigations
ForestryD. Lee Fp9SGRENv Republican Counsel on Lands and
(H)CONTENTS
Page
held: February 1993 1Hearing 4,
statement:Member
Hon. George Miller 1
Witness statements:
Islands Council, Lerwick,Malcolm E. Green, chief executive, Shetland
2Scotland
Panel consisting of:
Sankovitch, senior attorney. Natural Resources Defense Coun-Nina
New York, NY, accompanied by Sarah Chasis, senior attorney.cil,
Natural Resources Defense Council, and director of the coastal
37project
Scott Sterling, representative of the city of Cordova and president,
Prince Wiluam Sound Re^onal Citizens' Advisory Council, Anchor-
age, AK, accompanied by Tex Edwards, board of directors, Regional
RCAC Port Op-Citizens' Advisory Council [RCAC], and chairman,
50erations and Vessels TrafBc Systems Committee
Marine Safety,Rear Adm. Arthur E. "Gene" Henn, Chief of the OfBce of
Head-Security, and Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard,
and Margie Hegy, Officequarters, accompanied by Comdr. Ed RoUison
Guard Head-of Navigation Safety and Waterway Services, U.S. Coast
72quarters
from:Additional material submitted for the record
executive, Shetland Islands Council:Malcolm E. Green, chief
Chairman Miller dated February 3 containing draft pro-1. Letter to
posals for action to improve vessel traffic management 11 Miller dated 2 including attachment2. Letter to
regarding Managing the Marine Environment Conference 13
3. Press release dated Feb. 1993, including detailed maps 264,
George Miller: Letter to Chairman Miller from Hon. Byron D.Hon.
Sher, chairman, California Legislature Assembly Natural Resources
Committee 68
APPENDDC
Thursday, February 4, 1993
Additional material submitted for the record from:
Subcommittee on Oversight £md Investigations:
executive1. Background memorandum dated Feb. 3, 1993, including
Prevention andsummary, "Safety at Bay—^A Review of Oil Spill
De-Cleanup in U.S. Waters, Natural Resources Defense Council,
107cember 1992
dated Feb.2. Warner Chabot & Associates: Memorandum 1, 1993,
50-mile buffers for oil tank-regarding oil spill oversight hearing—
121ers
3. "BRAER Incident"—report received fix»m the director of the Inter-
national Compensation Fund on Feb. andOil Pollution 4, 1992,
attachments 124
Center for Meuine Conservation:
1. Oil tankers and airliners, prepared by Burr Heneman, Jan. 31,
1993 127
2. Memorandum from Burr Heneman to subcommittee staff dated
Feb. 2, 1993, regarding oil spill oversight hearing 130
(lU)IV
Page
Additional material submitted for the record from—Continued
Natural Resources Defense Council: Letter to Chairman Miller from Nina
Sankovitch dated Feb. 18, 1993, and attachments I34
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Inc., Sausaiito CA-
Letter to Chairman Miller dated Feb. 2, 1993, regarding oil spill over-
sight hearing—50-mile buffers for oil tankers 140
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Portland, OR: Letter to
subcommittee staff from Stephen H. Phillips, habitat biologist dated
Feb. 3, 1993 142
Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, Aiichorage, AKj
1. Additional recommendations for the subcommittee from Rick
Steiner, ofCordova, as provided to RCAC 143
2. Status ofcurrent projects as ofMar. 16, 1993 145
3. 1992 year in review 150
Ocean Sanctuary Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, CA: Letter to
Chairman Miller from Steven L. Rebuck, executive director, dated Feb.
8, 1993, enclosing proposal to use Monterey Bay National Marine Sanc-
tuary and proposed Central Coast National Marine Sanctuary as ex-
panded sea otter refuge 170
American Oceans Campaign: Letter to Chairman Miller dated Jaii. 29!
1993 192
Doqjon Marine Co., Inc., Hillside, NJ: Memorandum to Chairman Miller
dated Feb. 18, 1993, regarding "OPA '90, Salvage, Fire-fighting,
Lightering" I95
Dr. Jonathan W.G. Wills, Shetland, Scotland: Letter to Chairman Miller
dated Feb. 4, 1993, including prepared statement 200SHETLAND ISLANDS OIL SPILL AND ITS IM-
PLICATIONS FOR OIL TRANSPORTATION
AND SPILL RESPONSE IN THE UNITED
STATES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19934,
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 11:22 a.m., in room
Longworth House1324, Office Building, Hon. George Miller (chair-
man of the subcommittee) presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OFCHAIRMANMILLER
Mr. Miller. The subcommittee wiU come to order. The first
order of business will be for me to extend my apologies to the wit-
nesses and to the audience and to others for the delay in this hear-
ing. We had a meeting with President Clinton, and unfortunately
we were not notified of that meeting until very late last night, and
I was not able to apprise people prior to this morning. I hope that
you understand; meetings with the President weren't something
that ordinarily interrupted my schedule the last couple ofyears.
The committee meets today to hold a hearing on the recent oil
spill in the Shetland Islands and its implications for the United
States. Nearly 4 years ago, national concern about the vulnerability
of our coastal environment was raised dramatically by the Exxon
Valdez oil spill in Alaska. In response, the Congress passed OPA
the Oil90, Pollution Act of 1990, which was intended to signifi-
cantly improve our oil spill prevention and respon