Ventura County accept state grant for oil spill response equipment

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a state grant for up to $35,000, May 1. Accepting the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Oil Spill Response Equipment Grant means the county will have funding to purchase tools to better respond to oil spill incidents.

“The Channel Islands Harbor is at risk of an oil spill occurring in its jurisdiction. The

Channel Islands Harbor Patrol is a 24-hour operation and its patrol officers have the ability to deploy spill response equipment,” county staff told supervisors in a report. “The [oil spill grant] program was established to pre-stage spill response equipment at various locations throughout the state, and enable a rapid response to oil spill incidents. The equipment will provide the Harbor Department and the surrounding region with the ability to respond to the immediate needs of an oil spill.”

Ventura County will be able to pay for oil spill response equipment and training to safely deploy the purchased tools.

“The equipment will provide the Harbor Department and the surrounding region with the ability to respond to the immediate needs of an oil spill,” county staff said in a report to supervisors.

Purchased equipment through the grant would be used in response for an oil spill event at Channel Islands Harbor.

Photo: Channel Islands Harbor