Washington’s 2025 BAP Update: What’s Changing in Oil Spill Contingency Planning

In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, we dive into Washington State’s 2025 Best Achievable Protection (BAP) initiative—a comprehensive effort to update oil spill contingency planning regulations under WAC 173-182 and WAC 173-186.

Host Dan Smiley explains how the Department of Ecology kicked off the process with a well-attended online meeting and public survey, inviting input on ways to strengthen spill response planning. The episode explores the four key topic areas identified for technical workgroups:

• Non-Floating Oil Response

• Whale and Wildlife Deterrence

• Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Techniques (SCAT)

• Aerial Surveillance of Oil Spills

You’ll learn what Best Achievable Protection means under Washington law, how it drives rulemaking, and why this cycle presents an opportunity for meaningful change in response readiness.

 

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