2022-2026 ACTION AGENDA EXPLORER
Analyze the cumulative risk and consequences of oil spills, assess the effectiveness and feasibility of mitigation measures, and target additional spill prevention efforts. (ID #64)
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:
Strengthen and integrate spill response readiness of all partners, including federal, state, tribal nations, local government, oil spill response organizations, and transboundary partners*. (ID #65)
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:
Increase capacity for early local response to spills and seek restoration using the best available science and technology. (ID #66)
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 include:
Key opportunities for 2022-2026 to integrate human wellbeing considerations and climate change responses into efforts include:
Human Wellbeing
Climate Change
Ongoing programs provide regulatory oversight, technical support, implementation resources, funding, or guidance and serve as the critical foundation for Puget Sound recovery. The following is a list of example state and federal ongoing programs that help to implement this strategy. Many more local, tribal nations, and nongovernmental programs exist that support this strategy.
We achieve our recovery goals of healthy human populations, healthy water quality, increasing functioning habitat and thriving species and food webs, and vibrant quality of life by reducing the risk and potential harm of spills of oil and hazardous substances to waterways. The indicator of success is reducing the number of oil spills/volume of oil spills to surface waters from all sources.
This indicator measures the percentage of dollars requested for emergency oil spill response equipment that have been funded by the Department of Ecology’s equipment grant program. This grant program funds the purchase of response equipment for applicants statewide; if a spill were to occur in Puget Sound, any equipment anywhere in the state is made available to be transported to the site of that spill to assist with response. This grant program is therefore helpful to track as it provides a helpful indication of capacity to respond to oil spills in Puget Sound.
Percentage of dollars requested for emergency oil spill response equipment that were funded by Department of Ecology’s equipment grant program. Data source: Washington State Department of Ecology administration of grants and loans database. Data last accessed in 2024.
This indicator measures the volume of oil spilled from any source to the Puget Sound environment, including both spills to land and surface waters. Any amount of oil spilled causes environmental damage, therefore oil spills pose high-impact risks to natural, cultural, and economic resources. This indicator helps to assess how well the region is doing at preventing accidental oil spills and mitigating the impact of spills if they do occur.
Figure 1. Gallons of oil spilled to the Puget Sound environment from 2018 through 2022 and 3-year rolling average of gallons of oil spilled. For example, the 2020 3-year rolling average is calculated by averaging gallons spilled across 2018 through 2020. Source: Department of Ecology’s Spills Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program; data most recently accessed in 2023.