Markey Statement on Moratorium Decision

(June 22, 2010) - Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement on the decision of a federal judge to allow 33 offshore drilling rigs to continue drilling before proper safety measures are put in place:

"This is another bad decision in a disaster riddled with bad decisions by the oil industry. The only thing worse than one oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico would be 2 oil spill disasters.

"This judge's decision flies in the face of mounting evidence that there are serious safety risks that must be examined with these 33 deepwater rigs before they start drilling again.

"Ninety-seven percent of the manned rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are up and running. No one is realistically talking about shutting down offshore drilling in the Gulf.

"We would be doing the oil rig workers and citizens of the Gulf a disservice if we did not put safety 1st with these few rigs. The Obama administration is right to appeal, and I fully support that effort."

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