BILL PASSAGE PROTECTS DELAWARE RIVER FROM OIL SPILLS

The Delaware River will be better protected thanks to a bill that recently passed the House and Senate.  The Coast Guard and Maritime Protection Act of 2006 (HR 889) included language from my bill, the Delaware River Protection Act, that will encourage the adoption of environmentally-safer double-hull oil tankers, require ships to report objects that are fall overboard, and require the Coast Guard to conduct scientific studies to prevent future accidents on the river.  I applaud Congressman LoBiondo for his work to ensure that this important language was included in the Coast Guard bill. 

These changes will help fix the serious problems exposed by the accident in 2004, when the ‘Athos I’ tanker struck a submerged object and spilled approximately 265,000 gallons of oil into the Delaware River, doing irreparable harm to nearby communities and the environment.  This incident revealed gaping holes in the Coast Guard’s planning and chain of responsibility, which have been fixed with language in HR 889.  

The Athos I spill cleanup cost hundreds of millions of dollars and the impact to the wetlands will be felt for years to come.  Preventing such tragedies from occurring again is an economic and environmental imperative, and this bill goes a long way toward protecting the Delaware River and our communities for years to come.

I have included a recent article from the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding this significant victory for your information.

Congress protects waterways
Wed, Jun. 28, 2006
Associated Press

The Delaware River and other waterways around the nation will be better protected from oil spills under legislation approved yesterday by Congress, one of the measure's cosponsors said.

The legislation was prompted by the November 2004 spill into the river of 264,000 gallons of crude oil from the Greek tanker Athos I after it hit a submerged anchor and a pump housing as it prepared to dock at the Citgo Petroleum Corp. refinery in West Deptford.

Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.) said the bill "is the result of bipartisan work" and will have a "significant local impact" by requiring prompt notification to the Coast Guard of objects lost in a waterway that could cause oil spills.

It also provides incentives for shippers to use double-hulled tankers, such as those now being built at the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, she said.

The legislation, originally introduced as the Delaware River Protection Act, also was cosponsored by Reps. Frank LoBiondo and Jim Saxton both (R., N.J.), Robert Andrews (D., N.J.), and Michael Castle (R., Del.). It applies to navigable waterways throughout the country.

The bill first passed the House a year ago but was later absorbed into the larger Coast Guard bill. The $8.7 billion legislation, which supports the Coast Guard's homeland security and emergency response missions, passed the House on Tuesday 413-0 and now awaits President Bush's signature.

The maritime bill also contains a provision requiring the Coast Guard to conduct an in-depth risk assessment of any proposals for liquefied natural gas terminals in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Philadelphia Gas Works had floated the idea of such terminals in recent years, prompting concern from neighbors and some city officials.

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