Council Backs Oil-Tanker Law

By Katie N Johannes, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

Dec. 14–A 28-year-old federal law that limits oil tanker traffic in Puget Sound should remain intact, according to the Bellingham City Council.

In a 6-0-1 vote, the council passed a resolution in support of the Magnuson Amendment of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Council President Grant Deger said he abstained from the vote because he didn’t have enough information about technological advances, or about whether the amount of oil imported and the capacity of local refineries are adequate to serve the area’s needs.

The resolution, introduced by council member John Watts, expresses the city government’s position but carries no legal or regulatory weight.

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