Oil spill prevention resources for the maritime industry
This page contains oil spill prevention resources for the maritime industry. The information here includes best practices to reduce oil spill risk, case studies with lessons learned, and Washington state inspection checklists and regulation.
Vessel oil spill prevention resources
These resources include lesson learned and best practices to reduce the frequency and severity of oil spills and accidents.
General resources
| Publication | Topic |
|---|---|
| 11-08-004 | Inspecting Vessels for Substantial Risk |
| 99-1303 | Fatigue and Maritime Operations |
| 11-08-005 | Emergency Checklists |
| 09-08-013 | Safe access to vessels |
| 14-08-006 | Preventing Vessel Emergencies in Washington Waters |
| 18-08-019 | Vessel Loss of Propulsion Incidents |
| 99-253 | Mobile Phone Use and Marine Operations |
| 06-08-003 | Emergency Towing |
Deck resources
| Publication | Topic |
|---|---|
| 98-245 | Voyage Planning with ECDIS |
| 99-1302 | Bridge Resource Management |
| 22-08-008 | Pre-Arrival and Departure Checklists for Deck Officers |
| 00-08-004 | Deep Water Anchoring |
| 00-08-003 | Safety Advisory Bulletin 96-01: Shifting a Ship by Warping |
Engineering resources
| Publication | Topic |
|---|---|
| 22-08-009 | Pre-Arrival and Departure Checklists for Engineering Officers |
| 00-08-006 | Piston Crown Maintenance |
| 00-08-007 | Importance of Preventive Maintenance |
| 98-252 | Shipboard System Modifications |
| 00-08-015 | Importance of Identifying and Addressing the Root Causes of Equipment Malfunction |
Washington State Contingency Plans and Field Documents
| Resource | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ecology Publication | Focus on Multi-Vessel Contingency Plans |
| Ecology Publication | Vessel Notification for Threat of Oil Spill |
| Washington-Specific Multi-Vessel Plan | MFSA Field Document and Notification Placard |
| Washington-Specific Multi-Vessel Plan | NRC Field Document and Notification Placard |
| Washington-Specific Multi-Vessel Plan | WSMC Field Document and Notification Placard |
Fishing vessel resources
| Publication | Topic |
|---|---|
| 10-08-010 | Oil Spill Prevention and Response - An oil spill guide for commercial fishing vessels |
| 23-08-002 | Inspecting Fishing Vessels for Substantial Risk |
Bunkering and oil transfer spill prevention resources
WAC 317-40 contains Washington’s rule for bunkering and WAC 173-184 contains the rules for transferring oil over water. These Focus Sheets include lesson learned and best practices to prevent oil spills during oil transfers.
| Publication | Topic |
|---|---|
| 14-08-007 | Bunkering best practice manual |
| 24-08-010 | Bunkering in Washington State |
| 09-08-012 | Communication guide for oil transfers (English and Chinese) |
| 99-1307 | Internal oil transfers |
| 14-08-008 | Marine Oil Transfer Spills and Inattention |
| 16-08-013 | Automated tank gauging, high level alarms, and oil spills |
| 11-08-008 | Oil transfer system hydrostatic testing |
| 06-08-019 | Oil transfer rate Lessons Learned |
| 99-08-010 | Lessons Learned from Vessel Fueling Spills |
| 06-08-031 | Pre-booming requirements for vessels delivering oil |
| 09-08-013 | Safe access to vessels |
| 24-08-018 | Class 2 (Mobile Facility) Transfer Reminders |
| 05-08-009 | Vessel Oil Spill Penalties |
| 25-08-003 | Preventing Spills: Camlock couplings |
Standards and checklists
Ecology inspectors board vessels to ensure the unique concerns of Washington State are addressed and our Accepted Industry Standards are understood and implemented. We use Washington state Accepted Industry Standards for Cargo and Passenger vessels and checklists to assess vessels for substantial risk of oil spills.
Cargo and passenger vessel standards and checklists
| Publication | Name of Publication |
|---|---|
| 11-08-007 | Washington State Accepted Industry Standards for Cargo and Passenger Vessels |
| 050-38 | Cargo and Passenger Vessel Boarding Checklist |
Fishing vessel standards and checklists
| Publication | Name of Publication |
|---|---|
| 06-08-008 | Washington State Accepted Industry Standards for Fishing Vessels |
| 050-37 | Fishing Vessel Inspection Checklist |
Bunkering checklist
| Publication | Topic |
| 050-29 | Bunker Operations Monitoring Report |
Regulatory requirements (Washington State laws and regulations)
The Department of Ecology Spills Program operates under the authority of Washington State rules and regulations.
| Revised Code of Washington (RCW) | Name |
|---|---|
| RCW 88.46 | Vessel oil spill prevention and response |
| RCW 90.56 | Oil and hazardous substance spill prevention and response |
| RCW 90.48 | Water pollution control |
| Washington Administrative Code (WAC) | Name |
|---|---|
| WAC 317-10 | Vessel contingency plan and response contractor standards |
| WAC 317-31 | Cargo and Passenger Vessels substantial risk |
| WAC 317-40 | Bunkering Operations |
| WAC 317-50 | Financial responsibility for small tank barges and oil spill response barges |
| WAC 173-184 | Vessel oil transfer advance notice and containment requirements |
| WAC 173-182 | Oil spill contingency plan |
Contact information
Sara Thompson
Vessel and Oil Transfer Inspection Supervisor
sara.thompson@ecy.wa.gov
360-280-5128