The Pacific States – British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force

The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force (Task Force) was formed as a result of the Nestucca barge incident in 1988 and the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. The intention behind the formation of the Task Force was to coordinate, support and enhance oil spill prevention and response efforts across the West Coast. Over the past 25 years, the Task Force has help develop both national and regional policy on oil spill prevention and response, and also supported regional and local outreach efforts aimed as preventing spills from small boats, marinas, and recreational vessels. The Pacific Oil Spill Prevention and Education Team (POSPET) was formed in 1991 to bring together educators and outreach personnel form across the western states and British Columbia, to foster collaboration and coordination on prevention efforts. POSPET tracks certified "Clean Harbors" and "Clean Marinas" across the jurisdictions, develops and distributes outreach materials on best management practices, and serves as a resource for tools and outreach strategies for the Task Force and other organizations. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the Task Force, a short history of POSPET, and several examples of how POSPET has helped made a difference in small spill prevention across the West coast.