Cantwell Receives Oceans Leadership Award

On Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., Sen. Maria Cantwell was awarded the Leadership Award from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The award recognizes Cantwell’s leadership in ocean conservation and her advocacy for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The Foundation also recognized Cantwell’s advocacy for sustainable fisheries, keeping Washington’s coastal economies vibrant and oil spill prevention.

“Senator Cantwell’s work on behalf of ocean conservation has been invaluable to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the entire sanctuary system and all the American communities connected to these destinations,” said Robert J. Trainor, Chair, NMSF board of trustees. “It is our honor to present her with this year’s Leadership Award.”

Cantwell was instrumental in getting the Coast Guard to secure regulations needed to station the year-round oil spill response tug in Neah Bay. In addition, Cantwell secured significant oil spill prevention and response policies to protect Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic National Marine Sanctuary. Such measures are of critical importance because more than 1 billion barrels of oil arrived at Washington state oil refineries between 2010-2014.

“The Olympic Coast is truly a national treasure,” says Cantwell. “That’s why I have fought so hard to improve oil spill prevention and response policy.”

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