Editorial
Credible spill plans begin with action

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The U. S. Coast Guard and the state Department of Ecology ought to be acutely embarrassed by their languid response to the October oil spill near Vashon Island.

Instead of four-point plans to institute five-part policies, the first, best improvement is a change of attitude: Respond to oil-spill reports more aggressively. Call in help sooner. The state already contracts for professional cleanup services. Use them to handle what the Department of Ecology cannot investigate with its own resources.

Did the system fail? Enough that it never really got started.

Oil-spill prevention always trumps the best cleanup efforts. That is what has made the rules and regulations about rescue tugs and tanker escorts so encouraging. The oil industry and shippers wrestle about who should do what and who pays, but there has been progress with training and contingency funding. Even the state and Coast Guard have had their legal wrangles to clarify watery turf and cleanup primacy.

Last Monday, the task force of federal and state agencies, industry and citizen representatives met all day. They are holding a teleconference tomorrow. All of it aims toward presenting draft recommendations to Gov. Gary Locke next Wednesday. High on the agenda is creation of a citizens panel to watch over the other agencies.

The model would be the program created for Alaska's Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled 11 million gallons of oil. An expert may be hired to look up north and see how that approach might be adapted here.

Other agenda items included exploration of high-tech, infra-red equipment that sees through darkness and fog to track spills. The only limit on technology is the size of one's checkbook.

Everyone seems to endorse greater use of volunteers. Motivated landlubbers and island residents could serve as extra pairs of eyes or be formally trained to help with cleanup.

Involving more volunteers is good, but creation of a high-powered, well-financed, professionally staffed citizens panel feels like overkill at this point. Isn't it expensively redundant of efforts taxpayers ought to be receiving from the Coast Guard and Department of Ecology?

If the Dalco Passage incident demonstrates those agencies need oversight, then a citizens panel may well have merit. In the meantime, state and federal agencies are whizzes at revising contingency plans. Restore the public's confidence that the plans work.