For Immediate Release

December 15, 1999

RESCUE TUG ARRIVES TODAY AT NEAH BAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 119-foot Barbara Foss will begin four months of service today in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, conducting rescue drills and responding to any maritime emergencies that may occur this winter, U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) said Wednesday.

    A similar tug was positioned in the Strait for two months this past winter, Dicks said, to accumulate data that will assist the Coast Guard in determining the efficacy of tugboats and other oil spill response measures in Washington State waters.

    Funds for the operation of the Barbara Foss this winter -- estimated to be about $1.35 million --   will come from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and the State of Washington, Rep. Dicks said.  "This is a joint effort, launched by Vice President Al Gore, that will add significantly to our base of knowledge about the usefulness of stationing rescue equipment in the Strait.  And with the Barbara Foss on station during the period of heaviest weather in our region, these drills will truly be conducted in 'real world' conditions," he said.

    Among the exercises that will be conducted again this year are simulations of ships losing power, collisions and spills in Washington's coastal waters where visibility is often severely restricted by fog and storms in the winter months, Rep. Dicks stated.  

    The additional data generated by these tests will aid the Coast Guard and the State of Washington, which are expected to issue a series of recommendations regarding oil spill prevention measures for the Strait and Puget Sound next year, he said.

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