This week, President Obama addressed the nation about the unprecedented environmental, economic and human catastrophe that our country is facing in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
He outlined the many ways that our nation's civilian and military resources have been deployed to the region and I encourage you to visit the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command's website at www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com for information about the continuing effort.
I'm particularly proud of the contribution New Mexico's labs have made , like assessing different solutions to the leak and providing scientific analysis of the spill's impact.
The immense outpouring of support from New Mexicans for those affected in the Gulf states has been equally encouraging. Over the past month I've seen excellent emails and Facebook posts from constituents with everything from ideas for fixing the leak to offers to volunteer with the clean up.
Here's contact information if you're looking for ways to help:
- Request volunteer information and register to volunteer: (866)-448-5816
- Submit alternative response technology, services or products: (281) 366-5511
In the Senate, we're investigating the oil spill on two fronts.
First, we're holding hearings to determine what went wrong and what can be done to prevent a disaster like this from happening again. I recently questioned BP America and its major contractors, Transocean and Halliburton, about the industry's de-regulatory and self-regulatory attitude.
Second, we're making sure that BP is held accountable for what happened. On Monday, I signed a letter along with 54 of my Senate colleagues urging BP CEO Tony Hayward to put $20 billion in an independently administered fund to ensure that BP pays for economic damages and clean up costs. I'm encouraged that BP has made the right choice and set up this account so that taxpayers don't have to pick up the tab.
One thing is for sure. Our over-dependence on increasingly scarce and expensive oil hurts our economy and can have catastrophic consequences. It compromises our environment, costs families at the pump, and puts our national security at risk. While domestic oil production will continue to be an important energy source for America and New Mexico's economy, we must develop a more diverse, and cleaner energy supply that takes advantage of our abundant renewable and alternative resources as well.
Now is the time for us to pass comprehensive clean energy legislation. Learn more on my Energy & Global Warming page.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nick Ameen.
