Ted Deutch: “Nearly 2 years ago, an explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling vessel unleashed a steady gush of crude oil into…”

“Nearly 2 years ago, an explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling vessel unleashed a steady gush of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico that went unstopped for 3 full months. The 4.9 million barrels of crude oil spewed into the gulf and jeopardized an ecosystem that is home to over 15,000 species and claimed the mantle as the worst environmental disaster in our Nation's history. Yet the BP Deepwater Horizon spill was also an economic disaster. And, Mr. Chairman, that is the issue addressed in the amendment I present to this body today. My amendment simply provides that no one shall be eligible for a lease issued unless there is, first, an estimate of the economic impact, including job losses resulting from a worst-case discharge of oil from facilities operated under that lease. Right now under current law and under this legislation, as drafted, companies applying for new oil drilling leases are not required to project the toll on local economies resulting from a worst-case scenario spill. In my home State of Florida and in other Gulf Coast States, like Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana, the economic consequences were enormous. Forced closures of fishing areas led to shuttered businesses. Fewer tourists led to job losses. The powerful economic ripple effect was felt by millions of Americans in States whose coastal towns, cities, and businesses depend on the livelihood of tourism, fishing, restaurants, shrimping, and other industries.…”