PHILADELPHIA – The Secretary of Homeland Security is establishing the Delaware River and Delaware Bay Oil Spill Advisory Committee (DRBOSAC) under authority of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, Public Law 109-241, as a result of the oil spill from the tanker vessel Athos I, that occurred in November 2004.
An estimated 1 million barrels of oil and chemicals transit the river to six oil refineries and several chemical plants every day making the port of Philadelphia the second largest petroleum-chemical port in the nation. Additionally, there are more than 3,000 vessel arrivals per year throughout the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware region.
The DRBOSAC shall provide advice and recommendations and a ranking of priorities for measures to improve the prevention of, and response to, future oil spills in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.
The DRBOSAC shall consist of 27 voting members who represent a variety of port activities including, but not limited to: port authorities, oil refineries and environmental organizations with interests in the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.
Individuals interested in serving on this committee are encouraged to contact Mr. Jerry Conrad at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, 1 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19147 or Gerald.A.Conrad@uscg.mil for further information on the responsibilities of the committee and application process.
