Cantwell Announces Plans for New Oil Spill Legislation

TRANSCRIPT

Senator Cantwell says her legislation would have limited the impact of the Gulf oil spill because it would have required the industry to integrate newer technologies. That's good news to Bruce Wishart.  He's the policy director for the group, People For Puget Sound.

Wishart: "We certainly can do more to bring in advanced technology into the picture. In some ways, we're working with 1980s, or even 1970s, technology rather than using the many advances that are available today."

Wishart also says the state government needs to beef up its oil response plans. He says the state spill response program has a $2 million deficit.

Offshore oil drilling is currently prohibited off the Washington coast. But Senator Cantwell says the area is vulnerable to spills because of the steady traffic of thousands of ships carrying oil. She says she'll hold a hearing on oil spill prevention and response before introducing her legislation.

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