“IT IS CLEAR THAT BP ACTED RECKLESSLY AND SHOULD BE HELD FULLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES”

Washington, Jun 15, 2010 -

Today, during a hearing in the House Energy & Environment Subcommittee on the BP oil spill, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) called on one of the witnesses, Lamar McKay, the Chairman of BP America, to resign.  The hearing featured executives from five major oil companies as witnesses: Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil; John Watson, Chairman and CEO of Chevron; James Mulva, Chairman and CEO of Conoco Phillips; Marvin Odum, President of Shell Oil; and Lamar McKay, President and Chairman of BP America.

Stearns asked the executives of the other companies about BP’s decision to withdraw the drilling fluid, which may have caused the incident.  Stearns inquired, “Knowing what we know today, from hindsight, about the inconsistent well pressure test readings, would you have proceeded with withdrawing the drilling fluid from the well?”  All four executives answered no.  Stearns again asked the executives if, based on reports, BP failed to follow industry standards.  They answered yes.

Stearns also noted, “In 2008, Exxon abandoned, after spending an estimated $180 million, a well called the Blackbeard West when the well’s pressure increased to a point that Exxon could not justify the risk of a blowout and decided to put the safety of those workers on the drilling rig and the environment before corporate profits.  Exactly what BP should have done.”

Stearns also questioned McKay about the discrepancies in his May 12^th testimony that the oil spill was about 5,000 barrels a day when current estimates go as high as 40,000 barrels a day.  Stearns suggested that BP was “lowballing” the figure.

“In light of the performance of you as CEO and what has occurred, I really think you should resign as Chairman of BP America…When we had 11 people killed, we have huge environmental damage, and you are still sitting here as CEO of BP…I’m calling on you to resign,” concluded Stearns.

Stearns calls on Chairman of BP America, Lamar McKay, to resign

Oil executives admit that BP did not follow industry standards