The terrible tragedy of the BP oil spill has clearly demonstrated that safety can never be compromised when it comes to recovering our nation's energy resources. We need new standards that improve safe energy exploration, protect jobs, and promote our energy independence - not a blanket ban that will have the opposite effect. In fact, one of the most important ways our country can improve oil and gas drilling safety techniques is by continuing to fund our national energy research labs like the one right here in South Park at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). I've been working hard to make sure federal research funding for this facility and its contribution to safe drilling research isn't arbitrarily and unnecessarily cut.
Tougher Standards for Off-Shore Drilling
There is near universal agreement on one thing - BP must be held accountable for the full cost of this disaster - and taxpayers should not be held financially responsible for any part of it.
As the clean-up continues and hope grows that the well is sealed, Congress has been working to investigate this disaster, find solutions, and ensure that a spill like this never happens again.
That's why a little over a week ago, I voted along with every member of the Energy & Commerce Committee to pass bi-partisan legislation that puts in place tougher standards for well design and ensures that the blow-out preventers, which are designed to be fail-safe and protect from surges and explosions in gas and oil wells, will actually be fail-safe. The failure of the blow-out preventer is what led to the BP disaster.
Our Committee's investigation found that this was no accident - BP blatantly took shortcuts in its construction.
This bill still must pass through the full House of Representatives, as well as the Senate, but it is a big step in the right direction to help raise the standards on these rigs and do our best to keep this from happening again in the future.
SW Pennsylvania Must Continue Contributing to the Improvement of Safe Drilling and Exploration
Last week, I worked with Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) to ensure that pending legislation in Congress which deals with the BP spill would not gut drilling research funding from our national laboratories, and unnecessarily cut federal research jobs. The legislation, as it is currently drafted, would send tax dollars to a private consortium of companies and colleges. I have major concerns with this change in research funding, because many of these same companies that would be tasked with these research responsibilities were responsible in part for the current BP spill.
The NETL in South Park, in particular, has an established expertise in fluid flow, fire science, high pressure fluids and gases - all under the umbrella of deepwater drilling research. Most importantly, I strongly believe that these federal laboratories and scientists can best balance the need to develop safe new drilling techniques, with our shared desire to protect the environment.
I have gone to great lengths to raise concerns with Congressman Gordon about cutting this funding to NETL, and the signals and assurances we are receiving are positive. I'm hopeful that funding to the NETL will remain intact.
Drilling Ban Will Kill Tens of Thousands of Jobs
As a result of the spill, the administration continues to go back to court to try and impose an off-shore drilling ban that will shut down a major source of our domestic energy supply, and kill jobs. This is the wrong path to take.
The reality is there are over 3,500 off-shore oil and natural gas rigs, with less than 100 that are considered deep-water wells like BP's Deepwater Horizon. Putting a stop to each of these, as the administration is pushing for, would reduce our domestic energy supply, raise energy rates (and everything from consumer goods to gas prices), increase our dependence on foreign oil, and kill American jobs. One study done recently found that an 18-month ban could cost more than 36,000 good-paying jobs nationally.
Stopping production across the board is not a realistic energy policy that strengthens our national security or helps our economy. Our goals should be to enhance safe, off-shore drilling standards, which will protect rig workers, local industries, jobs and our environment. And most importantly, ensure that a spill like this never happens again.
Let me know your thoughts by emailing our campaign at contacttim@electtimmurphy.com
-Tim Murphy
