Cantwell Applauds Oil Spill Response Drill on Lake Washington

Statement

Effort strengthens capabilities to protect Puget Sound, WA coastal communities

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee, released the following statement on an oil spill response drill conducted today on Lake Washington to test cross-jurisdictional spill response equipment.

"When it comes to responding to oil spills, we cannot afford on-the-job training. We must do everything we can to prevent oil spills from happening in the first place, but if they do occur it is vital to have response teams that know how to react quickly and effectively. Local and regional training is critical to improving coordination across multiple responding agencies and making sure there are no gaps in our oil spill safety net. The experience gained in today's exercise goes hand in hand with what we are doing at the national level, in the recently-passed Coast Guard Bill, and in legislation to strengthen oil spill response technology and infrastructure."

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