Wolk bills to strengthen state’s response to oil spills pass key committee

Bills would improve rescue, treatment of oiled wildlife and response to inland oil spills

SACRAMENTO–Assembly Bills 2911 and 2912 by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), part of a package of legislation introduced by the Assembly in response to the Cosco Busan oil spill last November, passed from their first committee yesterday.

“Inland oil spills pose significant risk to the environment, state water supplies, and public health and safety. Yet the state responds to less than a third of spills on inland waters,” said Wolk, who chairs the Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. “Oil and water don’t mix, and it doesn’t matter whether the water is fresh or salty.

“My AB 2912 provides the state with the resources to provide immediate emergency response for oil spills on all of the state’s waterways, including estuaries, rivers and streams, whether the spill comes from a tanker ship, tanker truck, or pipeline.”

AB 2912 stems from a comprehensive Department of Finance review of the state Office of Spill Prevention and Response that found major gaps in the state’s ability to provide inland spill response. 

“There is no comprehensive program, no formalized process for responding to inland oil spills,” said Joshua Basofin with the Defenders of Wildlife, which is cosponsoring the bill with the California Coastkeeper Alliance. “There is no single agency with incident command authority, dedicated funding, adequate staffing, or clear jurisdiction. Assemblywoman Wolk’s bill provides the state with the resources, well as the clear authority and jurisdiction necessary to prevent and respond to inland oil spills.”

In addition to AB 2912, Wolk is also carrying AB 2911, which will improve the state’s rescue and treatment of oiled wildlife by requiring better advance recruitment, training and coordination of wildlife specialists and volunteers to assist in field collection.

 “Time is of the essence in collecting and treating oiled birds and other wildlife, which will die quickly if not brought in for treatment as soon as possible,” said Wolk. “Their survival depends on the state's ability to conduct effective search and collection activities in the field. AB 2911 will help the state meet the best achievable standard of care for oiled wildlife in the event of future oil spills.” 

Among those testifying in support of AB 2911 were representatives of the bill’s cosponsors, Audubon California and Defenders of Wildlife.

“Cosco Busan was a wake up call. It demonstrated to us how underequipped we are in California to have a properly trained and prepared community of volunteers to bring speedy relief to wildlife,” said Dan Taylor, Audubon California’s public policy director. “AB 2911 will make a significant improvement in volunteer readiness and being able to respond to future spills.”

AB 2911, which enhances the state’s ability to rescue wildlife contaminated in oil spills, and AB 2912, which focuses on strengthening the state's preparedness and ability to respond to inland oil spills, were among seven bills in the package heard and approved by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Both bills are supported by numerous other groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, California Coastkeeper Alliance, and San Francisco Baykeeper. AB 2911 will next be heard in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. AB 2912 will next be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.