Oil Spill Commission Report Indicates Drilling Risk Remains; Congressional Action Is Urgently Needed

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, [email protected];
Nick Berning, 202-222-0748, [email protected]

Washington, D.C.—A presidential panel charged with investigating the causes of last year’s Gulf oil spill released its conclusions today. Friends of the Earth’s president, Erich Pica, had the following response:

“The commission’s sobering conclusion is that we remain in danger of more devastating spills from offshore oil. The problems that led to the Gulf oil disaster have not been solved.

“In response to the commission’s findings, we reiterate our call for a moratorium on all offshore drilling. And if such a moratorium is not established, Congress must at a minimum implement safeguards to decrease the risk of future spills. The liability cap that lets giant corporations like BP avoid paying for damages that they cause must be eliminated, and the Interior Department, which abdicated its regulatory responsibilities, must be reformed.

“Ultimately, the commission’s findings underscore the fact that oil is an inherently dirty and dangerous fuel. To safeguard our future, we must hasten the transition to clean energy.”

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Friends of the Earth and our network of grassroots groups in 76 countries fight to create a more healthy, just world. Our current campaigns focus on clean energy and solutions to climate change, keeping toxic and risky technologies out of the food we eat and products we use, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.