Vol. 1, No. 2
Headline Back Issues
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Industry operators on board Proposed legislation calls for crews on barges operating in MA waters Boston, Massachusetts -- A new law being considered by Massachusetts legislators would require crews and operating anchor systems on petroleum-carrying barges operating in the state's waters. The measures would allow other technical or operational measures in place of crews in certain cases. The proposed legislation, which was filed by Massachusetts Governor William Weld and Lt. Governor Paul Cellucci, is intended to help prevent oil spills while maintaining flexibility for barge operators. The measures would take effect after passage or October 1, 1997 -- whichever is later "If one of these unmanned oil barges breaks loose and springs a leak, it could seriously harm the marine life in the area," said Cellucci, adding, "This bill is just plain common sense." Massachusetts officials say the initiative will show industry and federal regulators that the state is determined to protect its coastal resources against incidents such as the January 1996 North Cape spill in Rhode Island in which the unmanned barge ran aground, spilling 800,000 gallons (about three million liters) of home heating oil. Two oil spills last year -- one in Portland, Maine and one in Portsmouth, New Hampshire -- have prompted officials within the Gulf of Maine watershed to review precautions against such incidents. "Oil spills create environmental havoc and threaten economic enterprises, such as fishing and tourism. The best approach is to prevent spills in the first place," said Trudy Coxe, Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. "Once the oil is released to the coastal environment, it is very difficult to clean up," explained Peg Brady, Director of Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management. A Barge Safety Regional Risk Assessment Team, comprising representatives of the Coast Guard, northeast state agencies, environmental groups, and seven major New England barge operators, developed recommendations the Coast Guard is using in developing federal barge safety regulations, and which are the basis of the Massachusetts bill. Barge operators have already voluntarily adopted almost all of those recommendations, said Phil Chase, assistant general manager of Boston Towing and Transportation Co., which operates barges from southern New England to Bangor, Maine, and participated on the risk assessment team. Chase noted that his company prefers to operate manned vessels with anchoring systems. "The safety advantages are pretty obvious," and there are also other benefits to manning vessels, he said. "The barge becomes home to these people. Half their life they're on it and when you have people who sleep where they work they tend to have a neater place." A crew can also keep a watchful eye on cargo and can alert tugboat operators to problems during towing, he said. "The cost of having one incident that could be precluded with manning far outweighs the notion that manning could be expensive," observed Chase. |
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Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine