FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
\nJune 15, 2010
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\nCONTACT:
\nLautenberg Press Office 202.224.3224
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\nHAVING RELIEF WELL IN PLACE BEFORE SPILL WOULD STOP LEAKS MORE QUICKLY
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\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today introduced legislation that would require oil companies to drill emergency relief wells at all new drilling sites off the coast of the United States.\u00a0 Relief wells are a proven way of stopping an oil spill; however, once a leak has started, the damage inflicted in the months it takes to complete a relief well can be devastating.\u00a0 While the BP spill began in April, the relief wells being drilled are not expected to be completed until August.\u00a0 Lautenberg’s bill would require pre-emptive relief well drilling and limit the damage to our nation’s environment and coastal economy when oil spills like the one in the Gulf occur.
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\n“My bill takes a common-sense step to contain damages that come with the inherently dangerous drilling business.\u00a0 If relief wells had been in place before the BP rig explosion, the gushing oil could have been stopped in weeks instead of months,” Lautenberg said.\u00a0 “Clean energy that will reduce our dependence on oil is the long-term solution – but while offshore drilling continues in the Gulf and Alaska, this bill provides a proven way to contain oil spill drilling disasters.\u00a0 I will also continue to oppose any energy proposal in the Senate that does not protect New Jersey from oil drilling in the Atlantic.”
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\nThe “Emergency Relief Well Act” would require the concurrent drilling of at least one relief well whenever a new exploratory or development well is drilled.\u00a0 Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has discussed requiring oil companies to drill relief wells in tandem with the main well, saying the idea is “a legitimate point to be raised,” Allen also said, regarding the current spill, “The long-term solution is going to be drilling the relief wells.”
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\nNearly two months after the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig explosion, the BP oil spill has already poured more than 50 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0 After numerous attempts to stop the oil failed – including a containment dome, the “top kill” procedure, and the “junk shot”- the drilling of a relief well appears to be the only way to permanently stop the gushing oil.\u00a0 Relief wells were also used successfully to stop two of the world’s largest spills, the Ixtoc Spill in Mexico in 1979 and the Montara Spill in Australia in 2009.\u00a0 In both cases, the relief wells took several months to complete.\u00a0 The Emergency Relief Well Act will be directed to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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\nAs one of the Senate’s leading critics of offshore drilling, Lautenberg has worked to hold Big Oil accountable and increase investments in clean energy development that reduces the nation’s dependence on oil.\u00a0 In recent weeks, he has:<\/p>\n
Introduced the Beyond Petroleum Act (S. 3343) that would assess a fee on offshore drilling leases to generate nearly $2 billion per year for the development of clean alternatives to oil.
\nCo-sponsored the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act (S. 3305), which eliminates the cap on damages BP must pay to those injured by the spill.
\nOffered an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill requiring BP to reimburse the government for all spill-related expenditures.
\nIntroduced a bill (S. 3443) to eliminate the requirement that regulators approve drilling plans within 30-days, allowing regulators unlimited time to evaluate the potential risk of specific proposals.
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Special thanks to\u00a0 Richard Charter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2010 \u00a0 CONTACT: Lautenberg Press Office 202.224.3224 \u00a0\u00a0 HAVING RELIEF WELL IN PLACE BEFORE SPILL WOULD STOP LEAKS MORE QUICKLY \u00a0 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today introduced legislation that would require oil companies to drill … Continue reading Lautenberg Introduces “Emergency Relief Well Act” to contain oil drilling disasters<\/span>