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 four 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 fourth year on August 8, 2009.  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.

COVERED VESSEL ENROLLMENT WITH WSMC

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 first reports a transit or presence in WSMC covered waters) within 90 days of enrollment will be discarded.

Important:  Vessel agents 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.

WSMC FIELD DOCUMENT AND NOTIFICATION PLACARD

Please ensure that the WSMC Field Document and a WSMC Notification Placard have been placed aboard each covered vessel.  Both the WSMC Field Document and Notification Placard can be downloaded form the WSMC website.  The preferred, laminated and printed on bright green paper, version of the WSMC Notification Placard may be obtained from WSMC.

NOTE:  Washington Department of Ecology (WA ECY) 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 that also have US Coast Guard federal plans, 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.

NOTIFICATION IN THE EVENT OF A SPILL OR POTENTIAL SPILL

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 BELOW WSMC’s SPILL RESPONSE POLICY AND MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITY.

WSMC’s NEW OIL SPILL RESPONSE CONTINGENCY PLAN

WSMC has received a “conditional approval” status on its new oil spill response contingency plan from WA ECY.  This new plan was required in order to meet new rules and planning standards adopted by WA ECY.   WSMC is continuing to work to address WA ECY’s comments received on the first submittal of its Plan.  At this time, WSMC cannot be certain what the final costs will be of any new equipment required by WA ECY to meet the new standards and how that might impact WSMC’s rate structure until we receive the final results of the WA ECY’s plan review and enter into the implementation stage with WA ECY.  

NO ASSESSMENT FEE INCREASES FOR NOW

WSMC does not intend to raise its assessment rates in 2009.   Due to the economic crisis, WSMC will make every attempt to go as long as possible without increasing assessments to its members.

US – CANADA RECIPROCITY ON VESSEL OIL SPILL RESPONSE COVERAGE

WSMC and Burrard Clean cooperation and reciprocity for oil spill response coverage has been in effect since November 3, 1998.  At that time, the interim arrangement of reciprocity for oil spill contingency response coverage between WSMC and Burrard Clean Operations, a division of Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) was signed.  It has been extended each year since then.   This arrangement applies to US outbound WSMC covered vessels while transiting Canadian waters (cargo and passenger vessels 400 gross tons and over and tank vessels 150 gross tons and over) and Canadian bound vessels while transiting US waters (cargo and passenger vessels 300 gross tons and over and all tank vessels).

While transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca, vessel owner/operators/agents desiring coverage by both WSMC and WCMRC oil spill response contingency regimes need to pay a fee to only one of these organizations.  That means that vessels bound for Canada will receive free coverage from WSMC while transiting in US waters and vessels departing US ports will receive free coverage from WCMRC while transiting Canadian waters on their outbound voyage.

Note:  This arrangement does not apply to vessels which call at both US and Canada ports (or transit internal Canadian waters).  These vessels must be covered for the appropriate fees with both WCMRC and WSMC (or other qualified organization) in order to comply with Canada and Washington state law.

The need for this reciprocal arrangement derives from requirements of the Canada Shipping Act and Washington law. Washington state law requires that prior to entering Washington State waters, commercial passenger, cargo and fishery vessels of 300 gross tons or more and all tank vessels and tank barges have a state-approved oil spill response plan and an emergency response system available in the event of an oil spill.  Canadian law requires commercial vessels of 400 gross tons and over and tankers of 150 gross tons and over to be registered with a response organization approved under Canadian law.  Therefore, it is possible for vessels to satisfy these requirements by paying a single fee.

By this arrangement, US outbound ships covered by WSMC can be registered for no fee with the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia to receive the response contingency coverage required under Canadian Law.  IMPORTANT:  In order to qualify for no fee coverage by WCMRC, WSMC Member vessel owners and operators, or their authorized agent, must register annually through the Chamber of Shipping.  Such no fee coverage is not automatic and must be renewed yearly.  Vessels owners/operators/agents will be responsible for registering vessels directly with the Chamber.  Registration forms:  The complete registration forms may be obtained by downloading from the WSMC website, www.WSMCOOP.org or the Chamber of Shipping website, www.cosbc.ca, or by contacting the Chamber of shipping of British Columbia at (604) 681-2351.