Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. COBLE. I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a horrific tragedy, as we all know; and I want to make certain the responsible parties are held accountable. I also want to ensure that we understand what went wrong to prevent future tragedies. Although I support domestic energy exploration, we need legislation that is focused and implements lessons learned, and the CLEAR Act, in my opinion, does not meet these principles.

Specifically, it adds yet another task to the Coast Guard mission without providing the tools necessary to get the job done. I firmly believe the Coast Guard can do its part, but it is our responsibility to make sure that they have the personnel, command structure, and resources to meet its multifaceted mission.

The bill also diminishes intellectual property rights. Its mandatory publication requirements for chemical dispersants will eviscerate a number of trade secrets and undermine competitiveness in the chemical industry, it seems to me. It makes no sense to discard trade secrets in the name of protecting the public when the EPA already has such authority and jurisdiction to test, inspect, and approve these products.

Finally, this legislation will create new impediments for tapping into our domestic energy supply, make us more reliant upon foreign sources of energy, and compromise jobs.

Mr. Chairman, I reiterate, we must address this catastrophe. The CLEAR Act, however, is the wrong approach for the gulf coast, our economy, and my constituents' wallets.

I thank the gentleman from Florida again for yielding.

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