On September 29, Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) was presented with a “Sound Hero” award by People for Puget Sound for his efforts to keep Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan De Fuca safe from oil spills. Last session, Rep. Van De Wege was the prime sponsor of the House version of a bill to require that a rescue tug, funded by industry, be stationed year-round at Neah Bay, Wash. Working together with state Senator Kevin Ranker (D – San Juan), Rep. Van De Wege pushed to ensure the bill’s passage. It was signed into law by Governor Gregoire on the 20th anniversary of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.
Both Rep. Van De Wege and his seatmate, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (Hoquiam), have been very aware of the need for a permanently-funded rescue tug because it was in their legislative district that one of Washington’s worst oil spills took place. The 1991 Tenyo Maru spill fouled beaches from British Columbia to Oregon, but the worst oiling was along the Olympic National Park shoreline and the Makah Indian Reservation, both of which are in the 24th Legislative District. The spill occurred when a Japanese fishing vessel collided with a freighter in calm summer waters off the coast of Cape Flattery.
“There are so many people who have worked so hard to ensure that we’d have a fully-funded rescue tug,” Rep. Van De Wege said. “I’m very honored to receive this award, but our success this year would not have been possible without the joint efforts of legislators, tribal leaders, local government officials, and citizen groups.”
The award was presented at the Dungeness River Audubon Center in Sequim.
Both Rep. Van De Wege and his seatmate, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (Hoquiam), have been very aware of the need for a permanently-funded rescue tug because it was in their legislative district that one of Washington’s worst oil spills took place. The 1991 Tenyo Maru spill fouled beaches from British Columbia to Oregon, but the worst oiling was along the Olympic National Park shoreline and the Makah Indian Reservation, both of which are in the 24th Legislative District. The spill occurred when a Japanese fishing vessel collided with a freighter in calm summer waters off the coast of Cape Flattery.
“There are so many people who have worked so hard to ensure that we’d have a fully-funded rescue tug,” Rep. Van De Wege said. “I’m very honored to receive this award, but our success this year would not have been possible without the joint efforts of legislators, tribal leaders, local government officials, and citizen groups.”
The award was presented at the Dungeness River Audubon Center in Sequim.
