SEARCH SITE
VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL
- Code of Virginia
- Virginia Administrative Code
- Constitution of Virginia
- Charters
- Authorities
- Compacts
- Uncodified Acts
- RIS Users (account required)
SEARCHABLE DATABASES
- Bills & Resolutions
session legislation - Bill Summaries
session summaries - Reports to the General Assembly
House and Senate documents - Legislative Liaisons
State agency contacts
ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
- Summaries: Since 1994
Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2001 SESSION
013655424WHEREAS, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has 89 reserve vessels anchored in the James River off Fort Eustis near Newport News and 27 of those vessels are on MARAD's list of vessels in dire need of scrapping (dire need vessels); and
WHEREAS, the 27 dire need vessels contain a combined volume of oil in excess of six million gallons and have deteriorated to a degree where there is a substantial threat of oil spillage; and
WHEREAS, MARAD's reserve vessels are located in a section of the James River that is environmentally sensitive and where local conditions such as high water currents make containment of spilled oil difficult; and
WHEREAS, in August 2000, pursuant to §§ 2.1-51.12:1 and 2.1-51.12:2 of the Code of Virginia, the Secretary of Natural Resources released the Tributary Strategy for the James River, outlining the efforts needed to restore and protect the water quality and aquatic resources of the James River and Chesapeake Bay, and spillage from the dire need vessels could complicate those efforts; and
WHEREAS, in August 2000, the former USS Donner, which was classified as a low risk vessel, spilled 1,000 gallons of heavy oil through a hole in its hull caused by metal wastage, resulting in an oily sheen outside the cleanup booms two miles long and a half-mile wide; and
WHEREAS, according to MARAD, the agency has not received the funding from Congress necessary for it to move forward to scrap the 27 dire need vessels; and
WHEREAS, funds are available from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (Trust Fund), administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, to take action to prevent spillage where a responsible party or agency does not take adequate action to prevent such spillage, and the Coast Guard can then seek reimbursement from MARAD; and
WHEREAS, in order to protect the environment of the James River and the health of its citizens, at a minimum, the oil on the scrap vessels should be removed, using experienced salvage contractors and Trust Fund monies; and
WHEREAS, moving the vessels elsewhere in order to remove the oil or scrap them is not a viable option as such action would create a substantial risk of spillage occurring elsewhere along the route; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the U.S. Coast
Guard be [ memorialized urged ] to provide funding from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund to remove the oil contained in the 27 vessels of the U.S. Maritime
Administration's James River Reserve Fleet classified as in dire need of scrapping; and,
be it,
RESOLVED FURTHER, That Congress be [ memorialized urged ] to provide funding
sufficient to allow MARAD to complete the scrapping of their reserve vessels in a timely
and responsible manner; and, be it,
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia on this matter.