Congresswoman says two bills will provide research into safer, cleaner drilling technologies
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today voted with a majority of her House colleagues to pass two bills that will improve the ability of the United States to prevent and respond to oil spills.
“The BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has been, and remains, a terrible tragedy for this nation,” said Giffords, a member of the House Science and Technology Committee. “But even as we struggle to recover from this spill, we must move to develop safer drilling technologies and better oil cleanup methods. We must have the tools to ensure such an incident never happens again.”
According to Giffords, the two bills will enhance research for oil spill prevention and cleanup and lead to safer and cleaner oil and gas drilling technologies. Taken together, the bills represent a comprehensive research agenda to enhance U.S. preparedness for future oil spills, said Giffords.
Rep. Bart Gordon, chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, said the two bills will lead to long-overdue improvements in drilling and response to spills.
“The BP disaster has shown all of us that the damage from oil spills can be catastrophic. Unfortunately, technology has advanced little since the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and today’s responders are left with virtually the same set of tools they had in 1989,” he said. “We have a responsibility to ensure that the relevant federal agencies are equipped with the technological, intellectual, and financial resources needed to prevent future oil spills and to effectively respond when they occur.”
Giffords supported both bills when they were passed by the committee.
H.R. 2693, The Oil Pollution Research and Development Reauthorization Act, ensures the ongoing development of new technologies and methods to prevent, recover and respond to oil spills. The bill also provides for robust oversight and accountability of the interagency research and development program.
H.R. 5716, The Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Act will support research and development of technologies and practices for worker and environmental safety, as well as accident prevention and mitigation. Some of the areas to be researched include enhanced well control and integrity, blowout prevention devices, secondary control systems for well shut-off, technologies for accident mitigation, decision-making and risk management and equipment testing for extreme conditions.
Both bills passed the House today on voice votes and now will be considered by the Senate.