WAC 173-180-221   Rate A prebooming requirements and Rate A alternative measures requirements.  This section generally applies to delivering facilities; however, any Class 1 facility receiving oil from a Rate A delivering vessel must provide the safe and effective threshold values to the vessel.

     (1) The Rate A deliverer must preboom oil transfers when it is safe and effective to do so. When prebooming is not safe and effective, the deliverer must meet the alternative measure requirements found in subsection (7) of this section.

     (2) The determination of safe and effective must be made prior to starting a transfer or, if conditions change during a transfer. To make this determination, the deliverer must use the safe and effective threshold values found in their operations manual. Safe and effective threshold values are determined using the safe and effective threshold determination report - see WAC 173-180-224.

     (3) When it is not safe and effective, or when conditions develop during a preboomed transfer that require removal of the boom, the Rate A deliverer must report this finding to ecology and meet the alternative measures found in subsection (7) of this section. The Ecology Boom Reporting Form must be used for this purpose, and submitted by e-mail or facsimile prior to the transfer and/or immediately when conditions have changed.

     (4) If multiple oil transfers are occurring simultaneously with a single vessel, and one product transferred is not appropriate to preboom, then that portion of the transfer where it is unsuitable to preboom must use the alternative measures found in subsection (7) of this section.

     (5) For the purposes of this section, the deliverer must be able to quickly disconnect all boom in the event of an emergency.

     (6) Rate A prebooming requirements.

     (a) In order to preboom transfers, the deliverer must have, prior to the transfer, access to boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer or two thousand feet, whichever is less.

     The deliverer must deploy the boom such that it completely surrounds the vessel(s) and facility/terminal dock area directly involved in the oil transfer operation, or the deliverer may preboom the portion of the vessel and transfer area which will provide for maximum containment of any oil spilled into the water.

     (i) The boom must be deployed with a minimum stand-off of five feet away from the sides of a vessel, measured at the waterline. This stand-off may be modified for short durations needed to meet a facility or ship's operational needs.

     (ii) The deliverer must periodically check the boom positioning and adjust as necessary throughout the duration of the transfer and specifically during tidal changes and significant wind or wave events.

     (b) In addition to prebooming, the deliverer must have the following recovery equipment available on-site:

     (i) Containers suitable for holding the recovered oil and oily water;

     (ii) Nonsparking hand scoops, shovels, and buckets; and

     (iii) Enough sorbent materials and storage capacity for a seven barrel oil spill appropriate for use on water or land.

     (c) For preboomed transfers, within one hour of being made aware of a spill, the deliverer must be able to complete deployment of the remaining boom, should it be necessary for containment, protection, or recovery purposes.

     (7) Rate A alternative measures. Rate A deliverers must use these alternative measures when it is not safe and effective to meet the prebooming requirements.

     (a) To meet the alternative measures requirements the deliverer must have access to boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer, or two thousand feet, whichever is less.

     (b) In addition to the boom, the deliverer must have the following available on-site:

     (i) Containers suitable for holding the recovered oil and oily water;

     (ii) Nonsparking hand scoops, shovels, and buckets; and

     (iii) Enough sorbent materials and storage capacity for a seven barrel oil spill appropriate for use on water or land.

     (c) The deliverer must have the ability to safely track the spill in low visibility conditions. The tracking system must be on-scene within thirty minutes of being made aware of a spill.

     (d) For alternative measures: Within one hour of being made aware of a spill, the deliverer must be able to completely surround the vessel(s) and facility/terminal dock area directly involved in the oil transfer operation, or the deliverer may preboom the portion of the vessel and transfer area which will provide for maximum containment of any oil spilled into the water.

     (e) For alternative measures: Within two hours of being made aware of a spill, the deliverer must have the following:

     (i) Additional boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer, or two thousand feet, whichever is less, available for containment, protection, or recovery; and

     (ii) A skimming system must be on-site. The skimming system must be in stand-by status and be capable of fifty barrels recovery and one hundred barrels of storage.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 88.46.160, 88.46.165, and chapter 90.56 RCW. 06-20-034 (Order 06-02), § 173-180-221, filed 9/25/06, effective 10/26/06.]