Definitions.
RCW 88.40.011
in effectThe definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Barge" means a vessel that is not self-propelled. (2) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system. (3) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other than a tank vessel, fishing vessel, or a passenger vessel, of three hundred or more gross tons. (4) "Certificate of financial responsibility" means an official written acknowledgment issued by the director or the director's designee that an owner or operator of a covered vessel or facility, or the owner of the oil, has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the director or the director's designee that the relevant entity has the financial ability to pay for costs and damages caused by an oil spill. (5) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or passenger vessel. (6) "Department" means the department of ecology. (7) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology. (8)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from any vessel with an oil carrying capacity over two hundred fifty barrels or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk. (b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) retail motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iii) facility that is operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330 ; (iv) underground storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 70A.355 RCW; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel, in a single transaction. (9) "Fishing vessel" means a self-propelled commercial vessel of three hundred or more gross tons that is used for catching or processing fish. (10) "Gross tons" means tonnage as determined by the United States coast guard under 33 C.F.R. section 138.30. (11) "Hazardous substances" means any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499. The following are not hazardous substances for purposes of this chapter: (a) Wastes listed as F001 through F028 in Table 302.4; and (b) Wastes listed as K001 through K136 in Table 302.4. (12) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce. (13) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land. (14) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at twenty-five degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, natural gas well condensate, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499. (15) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining shorelines. (16)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment. (b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations of the facility. (17) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons carrying passengers for compensation. (18) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating craft of any kind. (19) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil into the waters of the state. (20) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue, and that: (a) Operates on the waters of the state; or (b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of this state. (21) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries, tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Barge" means a vessel that is not self-propelled.
(2) "Bulk" means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder, or granular form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute, or belt system.
(3) "Cargo vessel" means a self-propelled ship in commerce, other than a tank vessel, fishing vessel, or a passenger vessel, of three hundred or more gross tons.
(4) "Certificate of financial responsibility" means an official written acknowledgment issued by the director or the director's designee that an owner or operator of a covered vessel or facility, or the owner of the oil, has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the director or the director's designee that the relevant entity has the financial ability to pay for costs and damages caused by an oil spill.
(5) "Covered vessel" means a tank vessel, cargo vessel, or passenger vessel.
(6) "Department" means the department of ecology.
(7) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.
(8)(a) "Facility" means any structure, group of structures, equipment, pipeline, or device, other than a vessel, located on or near the navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from any vessel with an oil carrying capacity over two hundred fifty barrels or pipeline, that is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk.
(b) A facility does not include any: (i) Railroad car, motor vehicle, or other rolling stock while transporting oil over the highways or rail lines of this state; (ii) retail motor vehicle motor fuel outlet; (iii) facility that is operated as part of an exempt agricultural activity as provided in RCW 82.04.330 ; (iv) underground storage tank regulated by the department or a local government under chapter 70A.355 RCW; or (v) marine fuel outlet that does not dispense more than three thousand gallons of fuel to a ship that is not a covered vessel, in a single transaction.
(9) "Fishing vessel" means a self-propelled commercial vessel of three hundred or more gross tons that is used for catching or processing fish.
(10) "Gross tons" means tonnage as determined by the United States coast guard under 33 C.F.R. section 138.30.
(11) "Hazardous substances" means any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499. The following are not hazardous substances for purposes of this chapter:
(a) Wastes listed as F001 through F028 in Table 302.4; and
(b) Wastes listed as K001 through K136 in Table 302.4.
(12) "Navigable waters of the state" means those waters of the state, and their adjoining shorelines, that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport intrastate, interstate, or foreign commerce.
(13) "Offshore facility" means any facility located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters of the state, but does not include a facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land.
(14) "Oil" or "oils" means oil of any kind that is liquid at twenty-five degrees Celsius and one atmosphere of pressure and any fractionation thereof, including, but not limited to, crude oil, bitumen, synthetic crude oil, natural gas well condensate, petroleum, gasoline, fuel oil, diesel oil, biological oils and blends, oil sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil. Oil does not include any substance listed as of March 1, 2003, in Table 302.4 of 40 C.F.R. Part 302 adopted under section 102(a) of the federal comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended by P.L. 99-499.
(15) "Onshore facility" means any facility any part of which is located in, on, or under any land of the state, other than submerged land, that because of its location, could reasonably be expected to cause substantial harm to the environment by discharging oil into or on the navigable waters of the state or the adjoining shorelines.
(16)(a) "Owner or operator" means (i) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering by demise, the vessel; (ii) in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (iii) in the case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.
(b) "Operator" does not include any person who owns the land underlying a facility if the person is not involved in the operations of the facility.
(17) "Passenger vessel" means a ship of three hundred or more gross tons with a fuel capacity of at least six thousand gallons carrying passengers for compensation.
(18) "Ship" means any boat, ship, vessel, barge, or other floating craft of any kind.
(19) "Spill" means an unauthorized discharge of oil into the waters of the state.
(20) "Tank vessel" means a ship that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue, and that:
(a) Operates on the waters of the state; or
(b) Transfers oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of this state.
(21) "Waters of the state" includes lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt waters, estuaries, tidal flats, beaches and lands adjoining the seacoast of the state, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=88.40&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026