Amendment That Improves Experience Requirement for Bay Pilots Moves Forward— Oil Spill Prevention Bolstered
“Arguably, the best defenders on Buzzards Bay each day are the local Massachusetts State Pilots that guide oil barges through our shallow and navigationally complicated Bay. Any effort, like this amendment secured by Congressman Frank, that moves federal pilotage requirements toward the outstanding training and qualifications held by our State Pilots, is a step in the right direction,” said Coalition President Mark Rasmussen. The amendment, which now awaits a vote in the Senate, increases both the required number of transits a pilot must have in Buzzards Bay, as well as the recency of those transits when piloting a single-hulled oil barge. The current requirement states that a pilot need only to have transited Buzzards Bay at least once in the past five years. This amendment improves the recency to at least once in the past year. The Coalition commends Congressman Frank for his continued advocacy and commitment to protecting the Buzzards Bay environment and coastal economy. Looking forward, the Coalition hopes this amendment will eventually expand to include double-hulled oil barges.
Click here to download a suggested letter and learn more about S.2374 |
The Coalition won a victory for oil spill prevention in Buzzards Bay on April 24 when the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which includes a Buzzards Bay Pilot Amendment. U.S. Representative Barney Frank D-Mass. worked closely with the Coalition to develop the provision, which mandates that single-hulled oil barges traveling in Buzzards Bay use Massachusetts licensed pilots or federally licensed pilots with recent experience in the Bay. 
Help prevent oil spills in Buzzards Bay by contacting Chairman DeLeo in House Ways and Means and urge him to pass Massachusetts Bill S. 2374. This bill, drafted by the Coalition, provides Buzzards Bay with the protection it deserves by insuring every oil barge navigating through the Bay receives a Tugboat Escort and a Massachusetts State Pilot. 
