Markey: MMS Restructuring Plan Demonstrates Obama Commitment to Reform
Salazar Reforms Continue to Positively Remake Agency
Today the Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will announce that the Minerals and Management Service department will be split into two parts: one that will provide oversight on the oil industry and another that will issue leases for drilling and recover drilling fees.
Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a senior member on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Interior Dept., issued the following statement:
“For years, the Bush administration’s oil strategy placed the granting of drilling leases ahead of safety review. This new reform of our nation’s drilling agency will finally end the Bush-era mantra of ‘Safety Second.’
“Secretary Salazar is continuing to positively reform the Interior Department to ensure the protection of both the environment and American taxpayers.
“Splitting MMS into independent safety and leasing divisions will provide the additional oversight of offshore oil and gas activities our country needs.
“This decision also shows the Obama administration’s commitment to responding to the Gulf oil spill. Their herculean short-term response is now being paired with a long-term plan to reform the way America addresses oil drilling on public lands, so that an event like this will be much less likely to occur in the future.”
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
del.icio.us
Digg this
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Print This Page