I have seen firsthand the devastation that can be caused by oil spills.  Just one significant spill in a sensitive area of our coastline can be extremely destructive to the ocean, environment and those who depend on its resources.     

 

In 1989 the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Prince William Sound.  The fishermen and communities devastated by this spill have yet to fully recover from its impacts.  It was just last week, nearly 18 years after the spill, that the Supreme Court finally heard oral arguments on whether those injured would be able to recover punitive damages. 

 

The legal process has been so drawn out that nearly 8,000 of the original 30,000 plaintiffs have since passed away.

 

After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Congress passed The Oil Pollution Act of 1990.  This act has done much to reduce the risk of oil spills and improve our response efforts.  But I remain concerned about the adequacy of our prevention resources.  We need to make sure the Coast Guard has the tools it needs to help vessels avoid accidents that may cause an oil spill.

 

Initiatives like the vessel tracking system used in areas of Alaska need to be expanded so we can track all the cargo ships and oil tankers sailing in our waters.  As captain Ed Page will testify, these tracking systems show, in real time, the location of possible response vessels and give us the greatest chance to prevent or contain an oil spill and protect our valuable coastlines.

 

I thank Captain Ed Page for making the long journey from Alaska to be here today and I look forward to hearing from all of our witnesses.