Protecting the marine environment is a major part of the mission of Puget Sound Pilots. Crew fatigue or mechanical problems can lead to accidents that spill thousands of gallons of pollutants into the water.

When a pilot boards a ship, he questions the Captain about the condition of the ship. In addition, the Captain certifies that his ship's propulsion and navigational equipment are in good working order and comply with all U.S. and international safety standards.

Regardless of the Captain's assurances, if the pilot finds a problem that could compromise safety or the environment, the pilot will take the necessary action. This could be anything from notifying the Coast Guard to delaying departure or docking until repairs are made.

Because pilots are licensed by the State and are required by law to be onboard, they are independent. This allows them to make safety-related decisions without regard for the economic consequences to the shipping company.

• In one case, recently a Puget Sound Pilot who boarded a cargo ship discovered that the vessel's gyro compass was inoperative. The Captain wanted to proceed, but the pilot considered the situation unsafe, overruled the Captain, and ordered the crew to anchor the vessel until the compass was repaired.
  
  
• In another instance, a PSP pilot boarded a Bulgarian cargo ship in Seattle and noticed a sheen of oil around the ship. When the Captain insisted that it wasn't from his vessel and resisted notifying the Coast Guard about the oil in the water, the pilot contacted the Coast Guard directly. The vessel was detained until the spill could be investigated.
  
  
• Yet another example of how a pilot can avert potential disaster occurred when a Puget Sound pilot boarded a 66,000 ton container ship at 1:45 a.m. in Seattle in preparation for a 3:00 a.m. departure. Upon meeting with the ship's Captain, the pilot determined that the Captain had been drinking. He was told that the ship's Chief Mate and Chief Engineer had also been drinking. The pilot immediately notified the appropriate authorities and the Coast Guard ordered the ship not to sail. Four hours after the pilot came aboard the three crew members were tested for alcohol consumption. According to the Coast Guard, the Captain's blood alcohol level was .1% (more than twice the legal limit) and chief mate's blood alcohol was twice the legal limit.
  
  
• What happens when a pilot is not aboard? In December 2004, the Captain of an Asia-bound cargo ship experienced engine problems during a storm off Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The ship was outside the area in which pilots are required, so no pilot was on board. Rather than call the Coast Guard or take the ship into nearby Dutch Harbor for repairs,  the Captain shut down his engine and ordered the ship's crew to repair the problem.  When the engine failed to restart, the captain failed to properly notify the Coast Guard or to timely hire a rescue tug.  These steps would have cost money or disrupted the ship's schedule.   But when he could not get the engine restarted, the storm drove the ship onto the rocks where it broke apart and dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel and fuel oil into the Bering Sea. Six crew members died when a Coast Guard helicopter crashed while attempting to rescue them.
  
  This accident would not have happened in waters, such as Puget Sound, where pilots are required.   A pilot would have properly notified the Coast Guard and called for assistance immediately, regardless of the cost. The ship would have been taken to sheltered waters  for repairs and would not have been forced aground.