Ron Wyden: “As we speak, rescue crews are fighting valiantly to contain the damage from the wreck of the tanker New Carissa off of…”

“As we speak, rescue crews are fighting valiantly to contain the damage from the wreck of the tanker New Carissa off of Coos Bay, Oregon three weeks ago. But the clock is ticking, the water is rising, and time is running short. An environmental disaster of truly alarming proportions is staring my state in the face. Thousands of gallons of fuel oil have already leaked out of the wrecked ship and thousands more may be spilled along our precious coastline within days, if not hours. As Oregonians struggle to make the best of a bad situation, it is not too early to start talking about how we prevent the next addition to the legacy of New Carissa. It seems clear to me that we need to look at the pernicious practice of foreign flagging. How many gallons of oil need to spill and how many miles of coastline have to be destroyed before we stop allowing unseaworthy vessels manned by untrained crews into our coastal waters. It seems easier to register a supertanker in some foreign countries than it is to register an automobile in Portland, Oregon. As long as this so-called Flag of Convenience system continues, it's only a matter of time before the next New Carissa runs aground on a local beach. Yet our maritime policy continues to allow it. Grave concerns have also been raised about the amount and quality of information being released to the public about this disaster. People who live in the area simply have not been told what to expect. That is unacceptable.”