Ed Markey

I think that BP should stand for bills paid. And this is certainly something that BP should pay for.

BP has yet to respond to my letter. I have not heard back from them yet.

Perhaps we shouldn't be waiting for BP to be spending that money, because they don't want to know how big their liability is.

Well, right now, people say, BP says, experts say that the flow could be 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day.

I am concerned. And that's why I'm pressing the Coast Guard and the EPA to make public what their criteria is for use of dispersants, what the dispute may be between Coast Guard and EPA, and what information, if any, that the oil industry…

We know that, inside of the -- a preparedness plan that BP put together, that they did not mention hurricanes or tropical storms.

That's why Congressman Melancon from Louisiana and I wrote a letter today to the GSA, asking that there be a full disclosure of what has happened with these trailers in the past.

Unfortunately, during the Bush administration, they made a decision to sell these trailers, to sell these toxic trailers.

It is absolutely preposterous that workers who are asked to go out to clean up toxic materials are then going home to trailers, toxic trailers loaded with formaldehyde that are not fit for human habitation.

It's stunning on the one hand, but not surprising. This has been characteristic of everything that has occurred since day one.

I am concerned and that's why I'm pressing the Coast Guard and the EPA to make public what their criteria is for use of dispersants, what the dispute may be between Coast Guard and EPA and what information, if any, that the oil industry…

We know that, inside of the -- a preparedness plan that BP put together, that they did not mention hurricanes or tropical storms.

How did we get to a situation where the trailers are now being used to house people without notification to them that it could be dangerous to their health and to the health of their families?

Unfortunately, during the Bush administration, they made a decision to sell these trailers, to sell these toxic trailers.

It is absolutely preposterous that workers who are asked to go out to clean up toxic materials are then going home to trailers, toxic trailers loaded with formaldehyde that are not fit for human habitation.

I thank the chairman very much. I thank him for his excellent work and for his timely hearings on this catastrophic event. I thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for her excellent work on this indispensable piece of…

Ultimately, the call is made by the Coast Guard.

We have to be very careful that what we're doing in the Gulf right now with the oil, with the dispersants doesn't wind up having a generational impact on the marine life in perhaps the most important area of our country for marine life.

I am still very concerned about the impact that this uncontrolled science experiment can have long term in the Gulf of Mexico.

Well, I have asked the Coast Guard and I have asked the EPA to tell me what the -- decisions have been made that affect BP's use of these dispersants.

They showed no concern in the beginning. They were dragged to the table to put up the $20 billion to compensate the families who are going to be harmed.

I think the American people should know that there is a worst-case scenario of 100,000 barrels a day, which is four million gallons of oil a day going into the Gulf of Mexico.

From day one, after this spill started, they were more concerned about their liability because they pay a fine per barrel of oil, than they were about sending out the proper warning about how catastrophic this could become.

They were not prepared. And, in the hearing that I conducted last week, it was very clear that none of the companies would be prepared who were drilling out in the Gulf of Mexico.

We now know, in retrospect, that when BP in the first week was saying that the spill was only 1,000 barrels per day, that they had an internal document in the first week that said it was 1,000 to 14,000 barrels per day. They did not let…