Title: California Coastal Commission
Headings: 
Why is oil harmful to the environment?
What is the government doing to prevent oil spills?
What can you do to protect the Bay and the ocean?
Classroom activities about oil spills
Oil Spill Glossary

Content: The International Safety Management Code, enforced since 1998, requires ships entering U.S. ports to meet certain standards, including procedures for reporting accidents and requiring qualified crew. In 1990, the U.S. enacted the Oil Pollution Act (OPA). One of the things OPA did was require that oil tankers be double-hulled, and requires the phase out of existing single-hull tankers. A double-hull further protects a ship from damage to its cargo tank, reducing the risk of oil spilling during an accident. California enacted the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act in 1990, which established the Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response within the Department of Fish and Game, which is authorized to direct spill response, cleanup, and natural resource damage assessment activities, as well as regulate all private vessels over 300 gross tons (672,000 pounds) that enter California ports. What can you do to protect the Bay and the ocean? Although large oil spills are disastrous for people and wildlife, much of the oil spilled into the ocean comes from runoff from roadways that flows into storm drains and then into waterways. This means that individuals can have a big impact on the health of our coast and ocean. What can you do? Become an oil spill response volunteer.