Proposal for Trans-boundary Vessel Traffic Safety Summit

Managing the risk of oil spills from increasing ship traffic in the Puget Sound Region

February 10, 2015

Makah Tribal Council Office of Marine AffairsThe Nature Conservancy

Vessel Traffic in Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters

Approximately 10,000 deep draft vessels transit the Strait of Juan de Fuca annually

Vessel traffic is managed via a joint U.S. and Canadian Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service (CVTS)

Several proposed port expansions and changes to exports will increase the amount of vessel traffic and volume of oil moving through the region

AP photo / Leonel Mallari

Vancouver, B.C. 1. Kinder Morgan 2. Delta Port

3. Gateway Terminal

Update – funded by Makah Tribal CouncilUpdated 2005 VTRA

which examined just BP Cherry Point expansion

Uses 2010 VTOSS data and validates model using independent AIS data

Comparison of 2005 to 2010 traffic levels and geographic distributions

Future Scenario Analysis – funded by PSPHow does risk change if

the Gateway Terminal, Trans-Mountain Pipeline, or Delta Port terminals are built or expanded

Changes to risk include potential for accidents and potential for oil spill loss

How do different Risk Management Scenarios mitigate the increased risk

2010 Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment

VTRA ResultsIf Trans Mountain, Delta Port, and Gateway are completed:

Figure 8 from 2010 VTRA showing comparison of potential oil outflow by waterway zone.

Increases in:Tank and Cargo vessel

traffic by 25% over the next decade

The potential frequency of accidents by 18%

potential oil loss by 68%

The increase in oil spill risk is unevenly distributed geographically3x greater in Haro

Strait and at the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Vessel Safety Summit• Bring appropriate federal, state, provincial, tribal

and first nations, and industry representatives from both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border to the table and facilitate discussion of how to best address these issues

• Discuss changing risks within the system and how to mitigate them

• Build upon existing response agreements, coordinating bodies, and navigational treaties

• Use a collaborative approach to identify areas in need of improvement including prevention, preparedness, and response

Strategies

• Provide a regional solution that works on both sides of the border

• Build on existing framework using collaboration and avoid duplicating efforts

• Reduce risks with mitigating behaviors to avoid response costs

• Use data to prioritize gaps so improvements can be approached in a logical, stepwise manner

• Explore new ideas for a durable funding mechanism

Potential Outcomes - Risk• Risk reduction through mitigating

behaviors – regulatory and voluntary• Focus on safety

• Comprehensive approach : prevention, preparedness, response, and mitigation

• Keep modeled oil spill risk at 2010 levels

• Common view of risk • Use the language of the 2010 VTRA to

characterize risk

Potential Outcomes - Collaboration

• A trans-boundary contingency response plan governed by joint incident command

• Improved system for sharing information for risk assessment, preparedness planning, and response• Better science on resources at risk• Spill behavior predictive capability, knowledge on

how new products behave• Industry disclosure of data important to responders

• Appropriate agencies are identified to implement identified solutions

• Durable public/private finance mechanisms to establish and maintain improvements

Potential Outcomes - Response

• Rationalized approach positioning response assets based on risk assessment and best available science

• Cross-border parity in response assets and preparedness

• Fine resolution response plans focused on training and mobilizing community-based responses in remote areas

Timeline and Next StepsScoping

Jan. – June 2015

PlanningJune

2015 – Mar. 2016

Summit hosted April 2016

Follow-up Apr.

2016 – Apr. 2017

Letters of IntentFunding sourcesEstablish leadership

structureInitial meetings

ConvenersFederal, state,

and tribal elected

government officials

Steering Committee

State and federal spill

response, safety groups ; tribal, industry, and

environmental representatives

Executive Committee

Leaders of existing

agencies and groups

Key Participants

Leadership Structure

The Role of the RRTA letter of intent endorsing the

summit conceptContribute members to the executive

and steering committeesContribute your knowledge to the

response portion of the effort

Questions?