(Washington,
D.C) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray applauded the announcement that BP will
contribute $20 billion to an independent accountability fund to pay off claims
resulting from the Gulf Coast spill. Murray signed on to a letter urging BP to
set up this fund, and she has been outspoken on the need for BP to pay the full
costs of cleaning up after their spill.
“I
am glad that BP decided to take this important step toward fulfilling their
responsibility to pay for the Gulf Coast cleanup,” said Senator Patty
Murray. “This is a good first step, but I am not going stop fighting to
protect Washington state taxpayers and making sure BP is on the hook for the
full costs of cleanup. I saw first-hand how Exxon fought tooth and nail to deny
fisherman and families from Washington state the compensation they deserved
following the Valdez spill. So I am going to keep fighting to make sure that
BP’s promises continue to translate into action.”
In
addition to sending a letter urging this step, Senator Murray also spoke
yesterday on the Senate floor urging BP to set aside this money and cover all
costs associated with this disaster. She also spoke strongly in support of the
Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which she sponsored, that would eliminate the
current liability cap of $75 million for big oil companies.
Senator Murray’s
full speech from yesterday follows (Listen):
“Madame President, as we
close in on two months since the deepwater explosion that set off the Gulf
Coast Oil Spill the toll of this disaster continues to mount.
“From the oil soaked
pelicans we see on the front cover of the newspaper each day, to the tar balls
that dot a previously pristine coastline, to the closed fishing grounds and
half empty hotels, to the human impact felt in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida
and throughout the Gulf Coast region.
“This disaster has reached
into our economy, our environment, and the way that we see our energy future.
But there is one place that it also threatens to reach – and that’s into our
pocketbooks.
“Madame President, when it
comes to BP’s promises to cover all the costs associated with this disaster –
I’m sorry – But I’m not ready to take them at their word. And that’s because as
a Senator from the Pacific Northwest, I have seen first-hand what happens when
big oil is allowed to make promises and not required to take action.
‘When the Exxon Valdez oil
spill happened in 1989, I remember that company assuring the public that the
economic and environmental damage would be paid for. And then I remember them
fighting tooth and nail – all the way to the Supreme Court – to deny fishermen
and families from my home state the compensation they were due.
“So, I’m not impressed by
BP’s promises and I’m not ready to take the word of a company with a track
record of pursuing profit over safety. Instead, I believe it’s time for us to
answer some very fundamental questions, like:
“Who should be responsible
to clean this up? Who should bear the burden for big oil’s mistakes? Should it
be the taxpayers? Families and small business owners who are already being
asked to bear so much?
“Or should it be the
companies responsible for this spill? Including BP—a company that made 6.1
billion dollars in profit in the first three months of 2010 alone?
“Madame President, I
co-sponsored the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act because to me, the answer is
clear.
“I believe BP needs to be
held accountable for the environmental and economic damage of this spill.
And I will fight to make
sure taxpayers don’t end up losing a single dime to pay for the mess this big
oil company created. To me, this is an issue of fairness if an oil company
causes a spill, they should be the one to pay to clean it up—not our taxpayers.
“This bill eliminates the
current 75 million dollar cap on oil company liability. So taxpayers will never
be left holding the bag for big oil’s mistakes.
“This is straightforward.
It’s common sense. It’s fair. And I have to say, Madame President, I am
extremely disappointed that this common-sense bill continues to be blocked by
the Republicans every time we bring it up.
“But I am going to keep
fighting for the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act to pass. But that alone is not
enough.
“That’s why this week I
also signed onto a letter to BP’s CEO asking him to back up promises their
making to pay with action by requiring them to set up a $20 billion fund to begin
covering the damages we will see.
“And it’s also why I’m
working to ensure this never happens in any other parts of our country.
“I’ve always been opposed
to drilling off of the coast of my home state of Washington, and this tragedy
is just one more painful reminder of the potential consequences of opening up
the West Coast to drilling.
“The economic and
environmental devastation caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster is still
impacting the people and families and industries in my state.
“Washington state’s
coastal region supports over 150,000 jobs and generates almost 10 billion in
economic activity – all of which would be threatened if drilling were allowed
to happen off the West Coast.
“That’s why I’m going to
keep fighting for legislation that bans drilling off the West Coast and makes
sure big oil companies are never allowed to roll the dice with Washington
state’s economy and environment.
“Madame President, we need
to hold big oil accountable and make sure disasters like this never happen
again.
“But we also need to
remember the workers who were killed and injured in this tragedy. We can’t
forget that this is an issue that is larger than this one tragedy – the entire
oil and gas industry has a deplorable record of worker and workplace safety. We
need to make sure every worker is treated properly and protected—and that
companies that mistreat workers are held accountable.
“Madame President, we know
that the oil industry is able to operate under stricter safety standards and
regulations, because they are already doing so in Europe, Australia, and even
in Contra Costa County, California, where the county has a set of stricter
guidelines that have reduced injuries and fatality rates
“But we also know that
worker safety shouldn’t be measured just by injury rates—we should be looking
at reducing dangerous conditions like fires, hazardous spills, and release of
toxic gases. And when accidents do happen—we need to record them, learn from
them, and build on a program to prevent them from ever happening again. And we
need to make sure our workers are treated with respect and their rights are
protected.
“Like so many, I was
appalled to read reports in the Washington Post last week about BP’s history of
worker safety violations and numerous reports of worker intimidation.
“No worker should ever
feel that reporting safety violations could endanger their job. And no company
should ever pursue the bottom line in a way that endangers their workers.
“The Senate deserves
answers from BP on worker safety conditions and how suppressing worker
complaints could have contributed to this disaster.
“So, I was extremely
disappointed last week when I held a hearing to examine worker safety issues in
the oil and gas industry and representatives of BP failed to show up. Failed to
even show up.
“Workers everywhere should
be able to feel confident that their employers are putting their safety first,
and companies that betray this trust need to be held accountable.
“So Madame President, I am
going to work to make sure that happens and I look forward to addressing these
issues with BP in the coming weeks so we can get up to the bottom of this. I am
also going to continue fighting to keep drilling away from the Washington state
coastline.
“And I am going to keep
pushing to make sure taxpayers don’t have to pay for big oil’s mistakes.
“Thank you, I yield the
floor.”
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