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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 1996
96-136
CONTACT:
Paul Heimowitz, (360) 407-6972 Ecology Spill Response Program
Mary McCrea, (360) 459-6155 Assistant State Attorney General
Ron Langley, (206) 649-7009 Ecology Public Information
STATE COLLECTS ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES FOR NAVY JET FUEL SPILL
OLYMPIA -- The State of Washington has filed a $38,000 settlement with the U.S. Navy for environmental damage caused in 1993 when the USS Camden spilled 5,400 gallons of jet fuel into Sinclair Inlet near Bremerton. The settlement awaits approval by U.S. District Court Judge Franklin D. Burgess in Tacoma.
"We're pleased that the Navy is willing to pay for the environmental damage it has caused," said Greg Sorlie, manger of the state Department of Ecology's spill response program. "We'll use the money to do environmental restoration work in and around Puget Sound."
This settlement follows a general agreement on natural resource damage assessments negotiated last year between the Navy, state natural resource agencies and the state Office of the Attorney General. Under the agreement, the Navy has offered to negotiate natural resource damage payments for its spills when negligence can be proved. Including the Camden assessment, the state has collected a total of $44,200 from the Navy under this agreement. Four other claims totaling $61,190 are under negotiation.
In addition to the damage assessment settlement, Ecology and the Navy are developing a pollution prevention plan for fueling operations on Navy vessels to reduce spills from those vessels into Puget Sound.
Money received from resource damage assessments is deposited into the state Coastal Protection Fund, which can be used only for environmental restoration projects and studies.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
