Markey: Rig Blowouts, Spills in Gulf of Mexico Troubling

Press Release

A new drilling well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is raising continued questions about whether offshore drilling safety has improved, and whether new measures are needed to hold drilling companies accountable for natural gas leaks, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said today. The blowout at a rig off the coast of Louisiana yesterday follows another loss of well control incident two weeks ago in the Gulf. Then-Rep. Markey released a report in May of this year showing that improvements are still needed to increase offshore drilling safety and performance several years after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Senator Markey today said that fines should also be levied under the Oil Pollution Act for natural gas spills. Markey also raised concerns about initial reports that the shear rams -- blades installed in a blowout preventer to cut and seal a leaking pipe -- may not have properly deployed in this recent incident. A similar failure occurred during the BP spill.

"Three years after the BP disaster in the Gulf, there are still too many incidents that threaten workers, the environment, and our economy," said Senator Markey. "Congress still needs to act to ensure that oil companies are drilling safely offshore and that companies are held fully accountable for any spills, including when natural gas is released into the environment. Blowout preventers also need to be failsafe, and this recent incident indicates that they may still be not."

Currently, the Oil Pollution Act, which was passed following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, does not cover natural gas pollution from a spill. Accidental natural gas releases can be fatal, as the gas is highly flammable and easily ignited. Natural gas releases also threaten wildlife around the rig when released, is a potent warming pollutant when discharged directly into the environment, and is an important domestic fuel resource.

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