WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. Coons issued the following statement in response to today’s report from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling:
“Today’s report from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling makes clear that the oil companies and government agencies involved were woefully underprepared for this disaster. Significant improvement still needs to be made in how the government fulfills its oversight responsibilities. The oil industry must also make significant steps to improve the safety of offshore drilling.
“It will take decades for the Gulf to fully recover from this tragic spill. We owe it to our children to ensure nothing like it ever happens again and we must take great steps forward in clean and renewable energies. America spends more than $1 billion on foreign oil each day, making it a critical priority that we as a nation invest more in innovative and creative solutions to our nation’s energy needs. I’m proud that instead of offshore oil rigs, offshore wind turbines are planned for Delaware.
“I look forward to reviewing the Commission’s report and discussing its recommendations with my colleagues in the coming weeks.”