The public is invited to attend a free online forum this week aimed at minimizing the risk and impacts of oil spills in the Salish Sea — the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia.

The 2020 Forum is the third of a three-year series intended to help advance collective knowledge about current spill prevention and response policies and practices in place in Washington State and British Columbia. It is hosted by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and is a non-voting and non-decision-making entity.

The videoconference will run from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 and 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

According to organizers, the goal of the 2020 Forum is “to celebrate the final year; exchange information to enhance oil spill prevention, preparedness and response to minimize impact of oil spills to the Salish Sea (the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia), and identify next steps needed to keep momentum.”

Representatives of the host agencies will share progress and key outcomes from the previous two Forums in 2018 and 2019 and lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Other presentations include navigational safety, data sharing, the environmental impacts of spills, Tribal and First Nation resources, the economy, and public health.

For more information, and to register for this year’s forum, go to: oilspilltaskforce.org/task-force-events/2020-salish-sea-forum/