A bill to improve Washington state response to a major oil spill passed the state House of Representatives today and now moves to the state Senate for approval. “No one wants a major oil spill but this bill will make sure we are prepared to respond should one happen,” said Bruce Wishart of People For Puget Sound. “We have a very large volume of oil crossing our waterways each day; it’s a ticking time bomb. Our fisheries, our economy, and our marine ecosystem are all at risk.” House Bill 1186 –sponsored by Rep. Christine Rolfes (Bainbridge Island) and Rep. Zack Hudgins (Tukwila)– will strengthen requirements for stockpiled spill-response equipment, expand the state’s drill response program, and increase response capacities by training and equipping commercial fishermen. “Having experienced over three million gallons of oil spilled in our treaty area off the Washington Coast, the Makah Tribal Council appreciates the efforts of the House of Representatives to enhance our fishing fleet’s ability to contribute to improving spill response capacity out of our strategic port of Neah Bay ,” said Chad Bowechop of the Makah Tribe Office of Marine Affairs. “The risk of a major oil spill in Puget Sound and our Washington waterways is increasing every year with more vessel traffic,” said Lisa Bishop of Little Skookum Shellfish Growers and Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. “A major oil spill would wreck havoc to our communities, our natural resources, and the shellfish industry- a $40 million dollar a year business in Washington.” The bill addresses key deficiencies in the state’s oil spill response program detailed by the state’s Oil Spill Advisory Council. A fact sheet on the bill and the risks associated with a major oil spill is found at http://pugetsound.org/programs/policy/activism/Oil Fact Sheet_012511.pdf