Wash. Rev. Code § 88.46.040 (2026)

(1) The owner or operator for each tank vessel shall prepare and submit to the department an oil spill prevention plan in conformance with the requirements of this chapter. The plans shall be submitted to the department in the time and manner directed by the department. The spill prevention plan may be consolidated with a spill contingency plan submitted pursuant to RCW 88.46.060. The department may accept plans prepared to comply with other state or federal law as spill prevention plans to the extent those plans comply with the requirements of this chapter. The department, by rule, shall establish standards for spill prevention plans.

(2) The spill prevention plan for a tank vessel or a fleet of tank vessels operated by the same operator shall:

(a) Establish compliance with the federal oil pollution act of 1990 and state and federal financial responsibility requirements, if applicable;

(b) State all discharges of oil of more than twenty-five barrels from the vessel within the prior five years and what measures have been taken to prevent a reoccurrence;

(c) Describe all accidents, collisions, groundings, and near miss incidents in which the vessel has been involved in the prior five years, analyze the causes, and state the measures that have been taken to prevent a reoccurrence;

(d) Describe the vessel operations with respect to staffing standards;

(e) Describe the vessel inspection program carried out by the owner or operator of the vessel;

(f) Describe the training given to vessel crews with respect to spill prevention;

(g) Establish compliance with federal drug and alcohol programs;

(h) Describe all spill prevention technology that has been incorporated into the vessel;

(i) Describe the procedures used by the vessel owner or operator to ensure English language proficiency of at least one bridge officer while on duty in waters of the state;

(j) Describe relevant prevention measures incorporated in any applicable regional marine spill safety plan that have not been adopted and the reasons for that decision; and

(k) Include any other information reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter required by rules adopted by the department.

(3) The department shall only approve a prevention plan if it provides the best achievable protection from damages caused by the discharge of oil into the waters of the state and if it determines that the plan meets the requirements of this section and rules adopted by the department.

(4) Upon approval of a prevention plan, the department shall provide to the person submitting the plan a statement indicating that the plan has been approved, the vessels covered by the plan, and other information the department determines should be included.

(5) The approval of a prevention plan shall be valid for five years. An owner or operator of a tank vessel shall notify the department in writing immediately of any significant change of which it is aware affecting its prevention plan, including changes in any factor set forth in this section or in rules adopted by the department. The department may require the owner or operator to update a prevention plan as a result of these changes.

(6) The department by rule shall require prevention plans to be reviewed, updated, if necessary, and resubmitted to the department at least once every five years.

(7) Approval of a prevention plan by the department does not constitute an express assurance regarding the adequacy of the plan nor constitute a defense to liability imposed under this chapter or other state law.

(8) This section does not authorize the department to modify the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.