Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) took part in a helicopter tour conducted by the Unified Area Command of the afflicted region of the Gulf of Mexico still reeling from the BP oil spill.  Rep. Engel flew over the site with the Coast Guard this week to investigate the progress being made in cleaning up the catastrophic oil spill which had resulted in a record 80-100 million gallons of oil released into the sea.  Cement has been pumped into the well which should prevent any further oil from being released into the water while the relief well is drilled to finally shut down the well.

“It is one thing to see the photos and video in the media, and another thing to see the region yourself.  I met with the officials from various government agencies tasked with cleaning up the spill and preventing it from spreading elsewhere.  I wanted to make sure that BP is being kept to their word and making substantial progress in cleaning up their mess.  As we all know, they have been less than truthful at all stages of this process, culminating in CEO Tony Hayward’s insulting appearance before Congress,” said Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I am pleased to say that what I saw was encouraging.  So far, our government agencies have been successful in holding BP’s feet to the fire and are managing to minimize the immediate threat of the oil.  I intend to continue putting pressure both on these agencies and on BP to make sure that any long term effects – both environmentally and physically for the workers and volunteers – are not only closely monitored, but are addressed in a timely fashion,” Rep. Engel added.

Rep. Engel has recently signed onto http://bpmakesmesick.com/ - a website designed to increase awareness for the Gulf workers to make sure any exposure to toxic chemicals does not take them down the same path as the 9-11 workers who became seriously ill working at the World Trade Center site after the attack.

 “Factoring in the exposure to the oil itself and the chemicals used to break it up, I worry about the health of the workers, the volunteers and the residents of the Gulf.  As we saw in the aftermath of 9-11, exposure to toxins resulted in the death and illness of far too many of the heroic first responders, residents and volunteers.  We cannot go back in time to save the 9-11 workers, but we can make a difference with the Gulf workers. 

“BP, and other oil companies, must use this as a costly and tragic learning experience and secure all other existing wells so that we will not be touring another disaster.  I am relieved the leak finally appears to be stopped, but there is still an immense amount of work to be done.

“I agree with what was written in the Times-Picayune editorial today.  They said, ‘Even if only 26 percent of the oil remains, the work of assessing the damage to (our) lives isn’t finished.  The region must overcome lingering perceptions of contamination, not only of seafood but of fishing and hunting grounds, beaches and other tourist destinations.  BP still has a long way to go in addressing the many consequences of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Until then, the administration needs to keep pressure on BP to make it right.

Rep. Engel also introduced legislation to prevent oil companies from seeking tax benefits or credits resulting from pollution of the environment of which they are responsible.  BP is attempting to do just that by seeking almost $10 billion in tax breaks.  The House also passed the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act of 2010 which includes better offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing practices, measures to hold oil companies fully accountable for spills and badly needed investments in habitat and land conservation.

The Unified Area Command consists of the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency.

“I am glad I took this tour and remain convinced that our nation needs comprehensive energy reform to not only prevent future spills but to finally end our unhealthy, unsafe reliance on oil,” said Rep. Engel.

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