Pete Sessions: “I am a resident of Mobile, AL, on the gulf coast. We drive down to the beaches periodically. What I would like to convey…”

“I am a resident of Mobile, AL, on the gulf coast. We drive down to the beaches periodically. What I would like to convey to my colleagues is that Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have always allowed production of oil and gas offshore. We even allow production very close inshore. The beautiful Mobile Bay, a fragile estuary, has a number of very large oil rigs in those estuaries that have produced very large amounts of oil and gas. We have never had a problem of any serious nature of an environmental negative impact. As we begin to discuss this subject, we need to ask ourselves, what is the opposition to drilling in an expanded area of the deep Gulf of Mexico, 125 miles or so south of Alabama and Florida, and 200 miles west of Florida's western beaches of Tampa? What is the opposition to it? I ask that question. Is it a sincere environmental objection or is it just a persistent opposition to the utilization of oil and gas that many people have in America today? Is it some sort of hostility to oil companies? Is that what is making people have a hesitation? I would like to discuss those areas a little bit. Let's talk about the environment. We have at this time 4,000 producing wells in the Gulf of Mexico--4,000. We have had one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit in Katrina last year.…”