June 15, 2014 — New rules proposed by the U.S. Coast Guard might dilute states’ power to prevent and prepare for oil spills — for instance, by overriding Washington’s requirement that tugboat escorts accompany supertankers into Puget Sound.
The controversy is prompted by a Coast Guard effort to assert federal authority over maritime issues.
State officials in Washington, California and New York have asked the Coast Guard to withdraw rules it proposed in December. They say the rules would limit the states’ role in protecting citizens from vessel accidents and pollution.
In Alaska, officials are worried the proposal would take precedence over state regulations requiring tanker escorts for Prince William Sound, where the Exxon Valdez spilled a load of heavy oil in 1989.
In December, the Coast Guard released proposed rules that outline a number of regulations it says would override state and local law.
The proposal clarifies the Coast Guard’s federal authority over areas such as vessel safety and inspection, small passenger vessels, marine accident reporting, among matters.
But in comments to the federal agency, some state officials say the rules are too broad and sweeping. The rules would interfere with or create confusion about state-specific laws regarding spill reporting, tugboat escorts or oil- spill contingency plans, they say.
Read the full story from The Associated Press at The Seattle Times