BP Disaster: The Work We Must Do Now
BP has made some steps toward permanently plugging its gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico and we hope those efforts are successful. But our work does not stop with the oil. There are many issues that remain unresolved and we need to keep the pressure on to ensure the summer of oil is followed by the autumn of reform, remediation and economic recovery. Above all, Public Citizen will continue its work to hold BP accountable.
Below are our top five priorities for our ongoing work on the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and energy industry influence over our political system.
1. Pass Comprehensive Legislative Response to BP Oil Disaster
On July 30, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would do the following: replace the existing $75 million liability cap for oil damages with an unlimited cap; reform the Mineral Management Services agency; repeal a legislative provision that exempted projects, including the Deepwater Horizon drilling, from detailed environmental analysis; bar companies with poor safety and environmental records from receiving new offshore drilling leases; and reform royalty rules. But before these positive reforms can be implemented, the Senate needs to pass its companion legislation.
Take Action: Send a letter to your senators urging them to pass the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Company Accountability Act of 2010.
2. Oversight on Oil Spill Governance
Despite clear provisions in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 that would have allowed the president and the federal government to direct the clean-up operations, complete authority was ceded to BP. Evidence suggest that BP abused this authority by policing public lands, restricting media access to areas affected by the spill, and using contract provisions to prevent clean-up workers from recounting their experiences. Public Citizen will be seeking congressional investigation into these allegations, and refinement of legislation that dictates governance in response to an oil spill.
3. Hold Bad Actors Accountable: Debar BP From Federal Contracts
BP Oil International Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of BP, has six contracts with the Department of Defense totaling more than $2.1 billion, primarily for fuel delivery. BP’s history of criminal convictions should bar BP from serving as a federal contractor. Public Citizen has taken the lead on calling for the suspension of BP’s current contracts and the debarment of BP from future contracts. Stay tuned for ways in which you can support Public Citizen’s effort to debar BP.
Read Public Citizen’s letter to the Department of Defense.
4. Ensure Full Compensation for BP Oil Spill Victims
On June 16, President Obama announced that BP would set aside $20 billion in an escrow fund to pay economic damages to people and business affected by the oil spill. Public Citizen supports the creation of this fund. However, Public Citizen is concerned about how it will be structured. Current plans to guarantee the fund would give the government and BP incentive to continue, and maybe even expand, risky oil production in the Gulf.
Read Public Citizen’s letter to the White House calling on the administration to change the way the fund is structured to ensure that the government can remain unbiased and prioritize the public’s—not BP’s—interests.
5. Expose Big Oil’s Influence on Government
The corporate control of our government—in particular, the influence of oil and gas money—has endangered our environment and stifled the shift we must make to a clean energy future. The situation in the Gulf of Mexico is a tragic example of what can result from this corrupt political process. Public Citizen and its allies are building public pressure on our elected officials to give their BP money—and all their oil and gas industry contributions—to the Gulf recovery effort.
Take Action: Sign our “Congress: You Have Oil on Your Hands” Petition.