The escorts are meant to help reduce oil spill risks in waters around the San Juan Islands, Bellingham and Anacortes.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s People for Puget Sound pushed for an escort tug to protect the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After enormous lobbying (and resistance from the industry and the Coast Guard) our State Representative at the time, Kevin Van de Wege, got the bill passed through and into law. The tug has assisted dozens of ships in mechanical trouble since then. Now Friends of the San Juans are promoting this new effort, which could significantly improve the chances of spill protection in the event of a mechanical breakdown.
Support this effort.
Originally published in Salish Current.
https://salish-current.org/2025/08/12/effort-to-dial-up-oil-spill-prevention-meets-pushback/