Bart issues statement on Gulf oil spill disaster

NEWS RELEASE

CONGRESSMAN BART STUPAK 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

************************* Stupak statement of local impact of Deepwater Horizon oil spill

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, today held a field hearing in Chalmette, Louisiana to examine the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the communities and environment of the Gulf Coast region.

The hearing, entitled “Local Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” was the second hearing Stupak has held on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the third hearing on the issue by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Stupak delivered the following statement:

"Let me begin today’s field hearing by expressing - on behalf of all Members of Congress - our condolences to the friends and family members of those who died or were injured in the April 20 explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Eleven lives were lost and 15 people were injured.

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to those families and to the thousands of people impacted by this disaster as the well continues to spew oil into the Gulf and onto your shores.

Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations continues our examination into the explosion and oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the second hearing that our Subcommittee has conducted on the Deepwater Horizon incident, and the third hearing that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has held on the issue.

While this oil spill is an unprecedented environmental disaster, it pales in comparison to the tragic loss of life.

Our hope is that with greater understanding of the effects of such a catastrophe, we can ensure it never happens again.

On May 12, our Subcommittee held a hearing into the events surrounding the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.

During that hearing, we learned that BP, Transocean, and Halliburton failed to address various issues with the rig, the well, and the blowout preventer (BOP) prior to the explosion.

BP and Transocean failed to ensure that the blowout preventer was fully operational.

BP and Halliburton failed to identify discrepancies in pressure tests done during the 'cementing' of the well.

Subsequently, BP briefed our committee on the progress of its internal investigation.

BP reported that it had concerns about whether proper procedures were followed at critical times prior to, and on the day of, the explosion.

As a result of the explosion, each day, 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf coast, threatening beaches, fishing grounds, critical wetland habitat, sea life and waterfowl.

BP officials said under a worst case scenario the spill rate could reach as much as 60,000 barrels - 2.5 million gallons - a day.

Several attempts by BP to stop the flow of oil have proven unsuccessful.

No one knows the full extent of the damage to the Gulf coast region.

It may be several years before we can quantify the true impact of this massive oil spill, but here is what we do know:

- 88,502 square miles of coastal waters; 37 percent of U.S. waters in the Gulf have been closed, resulting in a significant loss of income to fishermen and businesses

- Oil from the spill has reached barrier islands in Alabama and Mississippi, and just reached Florida’s shores this weekend

- 37,193 claims have been filed with BP to repay those who have suffered a financial loss as a result of the spill.

- More than one million gallons of dispersants have been used to treat the area. These dispersants can be toxic to some organisms living in the coastal waters

- Less than two weeks ago, some oil spill clean-up and recovery workers were hospitalized after complaining of dizziness, headaches and respiratory problems. Several community groups have complained that BP failed to provide adequate protection for these workers

- More than 700 birds, numerous sea turtles and at least one dolphin have been found covered in oil or dead on our Gulf shore.

The Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and spill has had far-reaching repercussions, forever changing the lives of the 126 people on board the rig and their families.

Each of our witnesses today has a story to share with America about how their lives have been changed by this horrible tragedy.

On our first panel, we will hear from Natalie Roshto and Courtney Kemp whose husbands died during the tragic explosion on the oil rig.

We will also hear from Gulf coast residents about the effects of the oil spill, and how it has impacted their lives and livelihoods across the Gulf coast.

Acy Cooper and Clarence “Ronnie” Duplessis are commercial fishermen who rely on the coastal waters for their livelihood.

They have both been deeply impacted by the closing of coastal waters and are now struggling to get by in what was supposed to be the first good fishing season since Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Moby Solangi is president and executive director of the Institute of Marine Mammal Sciences, protecting marine mammals from exposure to toxins like oil and dispersants.

Dr. Solangi has studied and written about the impact of Louisiana crude oil on fisheries.

Mr. Kelby Linn is the owner of ACP Real Estate, a beachfront rental and real estate broker on Dauphin Island, AL, who has seen a substantial decline in rental reservations as result of the oil spill.

The drop began to occur almost immediately after the oil spill, despite the fact that oil only reached Dauphin Island last week.

Wilma Subra has recently conducted a health survey of residents of the Gulf region and those working on the clean-up to determine whether they have been physically affected by pollutants from the oil and the dispersants.

I want to thank each of our witnesses for sharing their stories today, especially Mrs. Roshto and Mrs. Kemp.

Your testimony to this Subcommittee will be a valuable tool in helping us to address this horrible human and environmental tragedy."

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