A federal bill intended to avert catastrophic oil spills like the one in San Francisco Bay in November passed a congressional committee.
The Oil Spill Prevention Act, a bill co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., would require protective double hulls around the fuel tanks of newly built non-tanker ships with a capacity of at least 600 cubic meters of fuel.
Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard issued its second report related to the Nov. 7 Cosco Busan spill that said the federal agency should foster better partnerships with local governments and agencies in the wake of a disaster and communicate more effectively with those involved in any response effort.
