BP wants changes in latest oil spill contingency plan

by The Associated Press

British Petroleum informed state environmental officials Dec. 3 that it wants changes in the latest oil spill contingency plan for Prince William Sound.

The company told the Department of Environmental Conservation that it wanted to break from the plan.

BP and ARCO, along with Seariver, Exxon’s shipping company, are challenging three portions of the revised oil spill contingency plan. BP wants to break from that part of the plan that requires it to take the lead in preparing a geographic response in Cook Inlet, said BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. spokesman Ronnie Chappell. He said BP thinks that work should be done primarily by companies that are operating in the region.

BP also is challenging a requirement to train fishing crews to help in more dangerous situations. And the company says criteria requiring it to report all tanker problems anywhere in the state is unnecessary because the Coast Guard already receives those reports.