2019 Salish Sea Shared Waters Forum

Visit our 2018 Salish Sea Forum page for links to presentations from that event.

 

The panel on regulatory authorities discuss the oil movement from inland to marine waters.

November 14, 2019, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location:
Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center
714 Lakeway Drive
Bellingham, WA, 98229

The 2019 Salish Sea Shared Waters Forum took place on November 14, 2019, at the Four Points Sheraton in Bellingham, WA. This was the second in a series of three forums hosted by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

The 2019 Forum is part of a multi-year series of forums intended to help advance our collective knowledge about current policies and practices in place in Washington State and B.C., and discuss potential safeguards to protect our shared waters and resources. The forum is a non-voting and non-decision-making entity.

About the Forum

In 2018, Washington State passed the Strengthening Oil Transportation Safety Act, which requires the state Department of Ecology Spills Program to coordinate with British Columbia and Canada to establish the Salish Sea Shared Waters Forum. The purpose of the Forum is to exchange information to enhance oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response, with the goal of minimizing risks and impacts of spills from vessel traffic in the Salish Sea. The Forum serves as a platform for open dialogue for all levels of government from both sides of the border, including Transport Canada, the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, Tribes and First Nations, environmental groups, and industry. It addresses issues such as navigational safety, data sharing, and the impacts of spills on the environment, Tribal and First Nation resources, the economy, and public health.

About the Oil Spill Task Force

The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force is pleased to work with its member jurisdictions, Washington and British Columbia, in coordinating and facilitating the Salish Sea forums. The Task Force has been supporting transboundary coordination for nearly 30 years, and continues to look for opportunities to advance ideas, share information and foster collaboration across the shared waters of US and Canada.

Final agenda available here (pdf)

Supplemental Meeting Information

  1. Booklet of maps and jurisdictional authorities (pdf)
  2. List of US Agency Authorities (pdf)
  3. List of CAN Agency Authorities (pdf)
  4. Speaker Bios (pdf)

Presentations:

Session 1: Oil movement Overview – the Big PictureModerator: Dale Jensen, WA Ecology

Session 2a: Marine Emergency Response Systems – Moderator: Sarah Brace, Task Force

Session 2b: Marine Emergency Response Systems (continued)Moderator: Dale Jensen, WA Ecology

Session 3: Tribal and First Nation Perspectives about the impacts of oil transportation – Moderator: Debra Lekanoff, Swinomish Tribe, Coast Salish Gathering Coordinator

  • Tom Ehrlichman, Swinomish Indian Tribal Contract Attorney
  • Melody Allen, Suquamish Attorney
  • Anthony Jones, Tulalip Tribes, Attorney