A REMINDER OF ANNUAL WSMC VESSEL ENROLLMENT RENEWAL REQUIREMENT AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Dear Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC) Member or Prospective Member:

Thank you for your membership and participation in the Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC) Blanket Oil Spill Response Plan Program.  During the past three years, since August 8, 2005, you have completed the WSMC Vessel Enrollment Agreement (s) for each of your WSMC covered vessels on an annual renewal basis.  This enrollment program will complete its third year on August 8, 2008.  WSMC Vessel Enrollment Agreements expire one year after the effective date of each Agreement.  Each owner, operator or authorized agent is reminded to renew and continue the vessel coverage by signing and submitting a new Vessel Enrollment Agreement form by the expiration date of your Agreement.  You can find the expiration date on your copy of the Vessel Enrollment Agreement or on the list of covered vessels on WSMC’s website.

At the time of enrolling a vessel or renewing a vessel’s enrollment, please always use the latest WSMC Vessel Enrollment Agreement form that is available on WSMC’s website at www.WSMCOOP.org.

Please do not enroll your vessel with WSMC unless you know or expect that the vessel will be transiting Washington State waters.  Vessel Enrollment Agreements that do not become effective (effective date starts when the vessel reports a transit or presence in WSMC covered waters) within 90 days of enrollment will be discarded.

In order to simplify the process, effective August 1, 2008, the two versions of the forms (Tank Vessel and Non-Tank Vessel) are replaced by a single, updated form that will be used for all types of WSMC covered vessels.  The new enrollment form will be phased in over the next enrollment year (August 1, 2008 to August 1, 2009) as vessels renew their individual enrollments.

Important:  WSMC ship agent members are requested to notify their principals/clients of WSMC’s requirement to annually renew the Vessel Enrollment Agreements.  Please give this notice wide distribution to your client companies.

The WSMC Field Guide has been revised and is now called the WSMC Field Document.  A new WSMC Notification Placard has been revised and will be available August 1, 2008.  Please note that this new WSMC Notification Placard is a handy supplement to the WSMC Field Document.  The WSMC Notification Placard will contain contact information only.  The WSMC Field Document must be used for implementing other procedures and for information in the event of a spill or potential spill.  Both the WSMC Field Document and Notification Placard can be downloaded from the WSMC website.  The preferred, laminated and printed on bright green paper, version of the WSMC Notification Placard should be obtained from WSMC.

Important:  Please ensure that the new WSMC Field Document and new WSMC Notification Placard have been provided to each WSMC enrolled vessel.

Impact Uncertain with NEW WA ECY RULES ON EQUIPMENT STANDARDS

WSMC submitted its new oil spill response contingency plan to the Washington Department of Ecology (WA ECY).  This new submittal was required in order to meet new rules and planning standards adopted by WA ECY.  WSMC’s existing Oil Spill Contingency Plan will remain in effect until WA ECY accepts WSMC’s new plan.  The most significant portion of the new submittal is the proposal to meet WA ECY’s new equipment standards.  WSMC cannot be certain what the final costs will be of any new equipment required by WA ECY to meet the standards and how that might impact WSMC’s rate structure until we receive the results of the WA ECY’s plan review and enter into the implementation stage with WA ECY. 

Washington has changed its definition of oil for the WA ECY contingency plan requirements to now include biological oils and blends in addition to the petroleum based oils. Oil is now defined by Washington law as “oil of any kind that is liquid at atmospheric temperature [and pressure coming from the earth, including condensate and natural gasoline] and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil.”   Due to this change in the definition of oil under Washington Rules, WSMC must now cover vessels, as tank vessels, that carry the non-petroleum oils.  Therefore, vessels carrying non-petroleum oils will be assessed WSMC transit fees as tank barges or tank ships, carrying oil.  This includes the tank vessels that call in Gray’s Harbor.

NOTE:  Washington Department of Ecology field inspectors may board your vessel and hold a notification drill at any time while your vessel is in Washington State waters.  WA ECY requires that the WSMC Field Document (and Notification Placard) be readily accessible to the crew, otherwise WA ECY may levy a civil penalty against the vessel.  WSMC recommends that for ease of accessibility, for those vessels with US Coast Guard federal plans, that the WSMC Field Document be placed inside the front cover of the vessel’s Federal Vessel Response Plan for easy access by the vessel’s crew.  The WSMC Notification Placard should be posted in a prominent location, such as a bulletin board, on the navigation bridge.  WA ECY and WSMC also recommend that WSMC’s contact information be added to each vessel’s Federal Response Plan and that WSMC be identified as an organization to notify immediately in the state of Washington for oil spills or threatened oil spills.

In the event of a spill or threatened oil spill in or near Washington waters, it is very important that your vessel crew call WSMC immediately.  This call should not be delayed by relaying it through the home office, ship agent, or Qualified Individual. 

PLEASE REVIEW WSMC’s SPILL RESPONSE POLICY AND MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITY HERE.

The most up to date information, Vessel Enrollment Agreement form, and transit fee list will be found HERE on the website. 

Thank you for your participation and support.  Our cooperative works very hard to maintain the highest level of efficient and cost-effective service, preparedness and professionalism for our members.  General administrative questions may be addressed to the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound.  Also, if you desire a copy of an informational pamphlet, additional copies of the Field Document or Notification Placard, enrollment forms, WSMC’s Contingency Plan on CD, other published information, or the WSMC video (now on DVD), please call or contact Cynthia Reed at (206) 448-7557 or email at cynthia@marineexchangesea.com.

You may also contact our Executive Director, Roger Mowery at (425) 486-3501, or email at rogermowery@comcast.net, if you desire more information or have any questions. 

Very truly yours,           

Roger D. Mowery
Executive Director