House Bill a Step Forward for Offshore Oil Worker Safety and Ocean Health

WASHINGTON (January 26, 2011) -- House Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at preventing another BP-style oil disaster, and a key Senate Democrat vowed to do the same, as panels from both houses held hearings on the findings of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. Peter Lehner, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, issued the following statement:

"This is a vital step toward strengthening the safeguards we need to protect our workers, oceans and wetlands from the threat of another disastrous blowout. It builds on the important work of the oil commission. And it says to the people in the Gulf of Mexico the country never wants anything like this to ever happen again. The oil commission recommendations need and deserve the support of the full House and Senate."