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Klobuchar Presses Administration Officials, Oil Executives to Swiftly Resolve the Gulf Oil Disaster and Implement Safeguards to Prevent Future Oil Spills

Calls for responsible parties to be held accountable at two key Senate oversight hearings

May 18, 2010

Washington, DC – At a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar urged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to take fast action to stop the leaking oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Klobuchar also pushed for more safety measures to prevent future oil spills and called for greater scrutiny of the relationships between the oil companies and the federal agencies that regulate them.  On May 7, Klobuchar visited the Gulf Coast as part of a bipartisan delegation to assess the oil spill and met with federal officials and local leaders about ongoing recovery efforts.   

“With each passing day, thousands of barrels of oil spill into the ocean and the American people deserve to hear an honest assessment of when this disaster will be contained,” said Klobuchar.  “This spill reveals a serious lack of safety surrounding the oil industry.  We must take fast action to stop this leak, ensure the responsible parties are held accountable for the damage they have caused and put the necessary safety measures in place so disasters like this never happen again.”

During the hearing, Klobuchar pressed Administrator Jackson and Secretary Salazar on the immediate actions being taken to stop the leak.  Klobuchar additionally questioned officials on what federal agencies were doing to prevent future disasters and underscored the need to hold polluters accountable.   

Klobuchar also participated in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today where she renewed her call for full accountability from executives at companies responsible for the spill.  Klobuchar called on Lamar McKay, Chairman and President of BP America, and Steven Newman, President and CEO of Transocean Ltd., to provide aid for communities affected by the oil spill and pushed for the companies to enact stricter safety regulations. Today’s Commerce Committee hearing followed an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing last week during which Klobuchar called on McKay and Stevenson to stop shifting blame and take responsibility for the disaster.

Klobuchar has cosponsored legislation that will raise the liability cap for offshore oil facilities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The current cap is $75 million, and the bill would raise the liability cap for offshore oil well spills to $10 billion.

Official reports have estimated a spill rate of 5,000 barrels a day from the oil leak, but some experts have indicated that the spill rate could be much higher, with an estimated 25,000 to 80,000 barrels per day flooding the into the Gulf.

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