Here is some more little tidbits that seem to imply that most of this bill is already being done.......
In 1995 the California Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response, the California member agency
of the States/BC Oil Spill Task Force, conducted its own study of pilotage in California as
required by its enabling legislation. It found “generally effective pilotage programs in California”
and that “
relatively few ship accidents appear to be caused by the professional mistakes of
pilots.”
The report notes, however, that there are “many areas within the State where the use of
pilots by foreign flag vessels and US flag vessels in foreign trade is merely voluntary,” and
describes this as “a legal situation which threatens the very existence of the locally developed
programs,”5 reflecting a concern that the US Coast Guard might assume authority for pilotage in
California if the State did not. Although there is rarely an incident where a foreign-flag master will
4 ibid., p.3
5 Evaluation of Maritime Pilotage in California, Office of Spill Prevention and Response; page 2
and some more regarding medical exams of Captains........
Physical Exams, Recency Standards, and Continuing Education
Annex 1 of the International Marine Pilots’ Association Resolution recommends that the regulatory
States/BC Oil Spill Task Force Marine Pilotage Report (7/97) 12
authority “should satisfy itself, at regular intervals not exceeding 5 years, that all pilots in its
jurisdiction: 1) continue to possess recent navigational knowledge of the local area; 2) continue
to meet the medical fitness standards; and 3) possess knowledge of the current international,
national, and local laws, regulations, and other relevant requirements and provisions.”
With regard to #1, recency standards for applicants are as follows: The Pacific Pilotage
Authority and Washington State stipulate that apprentice applicants must have had certain
specified experience in the two years prior to application. Oregon requires that training
requirements be satisfied within six months prior to application for an unlimited license. In
California, one responding organization requires that training cannot take longer than three years
to complete. Where federal licenses are required, they must be current.
For renewal of licenses, Alaska requires a minimum of 120 days of pilot service during every
two-year license period. Since the Canadian Pacific Pilotage Authority does not require renewals
of Class I licenses, it has no recency standards. In Washington, renewal is a matter of course,
but state regulations specify that any pilot absent from pilotage duties or the district for longer
than 60 days without Board approval is subject to suspension or loss of license. Oregon has a
similar standard and Oregon pilot organizations also require pilots absent for more than 60 days
in one case, 180 days in another, to make a designated number of re-familiarization trips before
resuming duties. No recency standards for license renewals were reported by California
organizations.
With regard to #2, responding organizations require physical examinations for trainee applicants;
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and some California organizations require annual physical exams
for pilots thereafter. British Columbia requires a physical every three years until age 55 and
annually thereafter. One California organization requires physical exams more frequently as a
pilot ages, up to annual exams after age 50. Most pilot organizations use the US Coast Guard
standards for physicals; Oregon specifies a range of physical capabilities to be examined during
the initial exam, including color perception.
So it seems to me without unduly burdening the server at Get Bent, that once again Ms. Boxer is trying to justify her salary by implementing USELESS regulations that will not help the current danger of oil spills in this state. Only to increase fees and taxation in a futile attempt to over-regulate the few that have a minimal risk in this type of disaster.
Kel
P.S. Very few of the disasters in this state have been caused by U.S. made vessels, and in the documents I researched for this was there ever a "Medical Condition" that mitigated an oil spill.
P.S.S. And by the way Barbara, stop trying to get your slimey hands on my guns!
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