OLYMPIA – Washington state criticized Chevron Shipping Co. for refusing to participate in an oil-spill drill on the Columbia River last week, but the oil shipping company insists it had safety concerns.
The state Department of Ecology said it asked the oil shipping company to deploy people, boats and a floating containment boom to the area Dec. 8 for a practice scenario in which a Chevron tanker carrying millions of gallons of diesel runs aground west of Astoria, Ore.
The drill was to test Chevron’s ability to respond to an oil spill at the mouth of the Columbia, an area of concern for Washington because oil can move quickly along its waters and shorelines.
Ecology Department director Jay Manning said Tuesday it was the first time an oil shipping company has refused a request by the agency to participate in an oil spill drill.
“Chevron transports millions of gallons of oil over Washington’s waters each year, and oil spill drills are critical tools to test readiness to respond to a spill,” Manning said in a statement. “An immediate response is absolutely necessary to minimize environmental damage once oil hits the water.”
In order to do business in the state, oil handlers must have state-approved contingency plans for oil spills. Part of the requirement is to submit to unannounced oil spill drills, which the state has conducted for five years.
All holders of Washington oil-spill contingency plans were notified earlier this year that unannounced drills would occur, preparedness manager Linda Pilkey-Jarvis said.
Chevron spokesman Jeff Moore said his company was willing to participate in the drill, “provided that we first work together to ensure the drill would be conducted safely.”
Ecology Department spokeswoman Sandy Howard said the state was open to discussing safety concerns with Chevron in the coming weeks, but that Chevron will still be called upon for another unannounced drill within the next 30 days.
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