Gov. Gregoire's Statement on National Review of Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

Statement

Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the national review of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year:

"Yesterday, President Obama's National Commission released its final report on the May 20, 2010, Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That report and the lessons learned from last spring's tragic incident once again highlight our nation's vulnerability to major and catastrophic oil spills.

"I applaud the President and the commission for their hard work and excellent report. The commission's recommendations will help our nation reduce the threats of a major spill to public health and safety, the environment and our economy.

"While we do not face the direct risks of deepwater drilling off our shores, and we won't as long as I'm governor, more than 15 billion gallons of oil are shipped through our waters every year. The commission's report underscores the importance of remaining prepared and vigilant.

"The report reminds us that we need to continue to maintain our state's critical emergency response functions. To that end, I have asked the Department of Ecology and the Puget Sound Partnership to closely evaluate the commission's report, and capture the lessons and recommendations that will help us maintain a strong and effective state prevention and response program. The economic, environmental and cultural costs of a major spill would simply be too much for us to bear and would severely hobble any economic recovery for our state."

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