Markey Statement on Successful Killing of BP Well

September 18, 2010 - Following the successful completion of the cementing operation -- pending final pressure tests -- permanently sealing BP's Macondo oil well, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement:

"This spill began with a bang, ends with a whimper, and leaves a number of issues still screaming for attention.

"While BP's 'summer of spill' is over, the effects of this disaster will continue to affect the Gulf of Mexico and its residents for months and years ahead. The well is dead, but we must now ensure that the lessons learned from this tragedy will not die with it.

"This may be the final nail in the coffin for BP's well, but the investigations into this crime against the environment are continuing. Inquiries by Congress, the Obama administration's independent panel, and others will progress until every inch of this environmental crime scene has been examined and a full autopsy has been performed on the spill's effects.

"Several issues with this spill remain unresolved. BP and other companies involved in this disaster must be held accountable for fines and other payments for the harm caused by this spill. The long-term effects of dispersants and persisting oil still are not known, and must be monitored to protect human health and the food chain as we work to restore the economy and the environment of the Gulf Coast.

"The true tragedy of this disaster would be if we turned our backs on the Gulf region after the well has been sealed. Only when the Gulf coast is environmentally recovered and economically renewed can we say that this disaster has ended."