Western states and provinces along the Pacific Ocean will gather virtually this year for the Oil Spill Task Force 31st Annual Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and attendance is free of charge. To register, go to: http://oilspilltaskforce.org/task-force-events/annual-meeting/
Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force was authorized by a Memorandum of Cooperation in 1989 by Governors of Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California, and the Premier of British Columbia following the Nestucca oil spill in 1988 and the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.
On Dec. 22, 1988, the tug, Ocean Service, collided with the barge, Nestucca, which spilled more than 230,000 gallons of fuel oil into the Pacific Ocean near Grays Harbor, Washington. The resulting oil slick dispersed over 800 square miles from Grays Harbor north to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada and south to Oregon.
The catastrophic spill of the tanker Exxon Valdez occurred in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. These two events highlighted in a dramatic way the vulnerability of the West Coast states and British Columbia to spill risks from coastal marine traffic. Awareness arose of the importance of cross-border coordination and cooperation, and the need for firm commitments to protect the unique marine resources of the region.
To develop strategies to adapt to changes in oil movement and risks, the Task Force began collecting data on spills greater than a barrel (42 gallons) in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington in 2002. In 2017, tracking of the number of spills of less than a barrel began.
Comprised of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii, the Task Force provides a forum where members can work together to help protect 56,600 miles of coastline stretching from Alaska to California, including the Hawaiian Islands. They are united in their efforts in oil spill prevention, response, preparedness and recovery across the West Coast.
This year the Annual Meeting will focus on how COVID-19 has changed the Task Force’s work and operations, and lessons learned from responding to spills and conduction exercises in a virtual world.
The Task Force Executive Members include:
- Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
- Office of Spill Prevention & Response, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Hawai’i State Department of Health
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
- Department of Ecology Spill Prevention, Preparedness & Response Program
- Ministry of Environment, British Columbia Ministry of the Environment and Climate
For more information visit: http://oilspilltaskforce.org/task-force-events/annual-meeting/
