Markey Asks BP to Post Live Feed of Oil Leak on Website
Public, Scientists Deserve to See All Video from Spill, Says Chairman; Markey Offers to Host Feed on Website If BP Cannot
(May 19, 2010) – In advance of hosting a congressional briefing today with independent scientists on the true size of the oil leak, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to BP America’s CEO Lamar McKay asking that the company make a live stream of video from the oil leak site publicly available to give unfettered access of the accident and recovery to scientists and the American public. BP currently has several remotely controlled submersibles taking video of the accident site 24 hours a day, but has only released a fraction of the video. Rep. Markey also sent a letter to Admiral Thad Allen of the Coast Guard on the matter.
The letters are publicly available on the web here and here.
“Allowing the public to view this video could provide our best scientists and engineers with information that could be helpful in developing much needed solutions to the ongoing oil spill, both in terms of subsea operations and surface spill response,” writes Rep. Markey in the letter. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Congress and the American public have the right to know what is happening in real time, so that they can understand and react to the situation as it develops.”
Rep. Markey has frequently queried BP for more information on the exact size of the spill and on their refusal to engage with outside scientists. Independent scientists have examined video, satellite photos and other aspects of the spill and determined that it may be much bigger. One analysis by Steve Wereley from Purdue University put the rate of spill at 70,000 barrels a day, much higher than the BP-pushed estimate of 5,000 barrels a day.
If BP cannot host the live video stream, Rep. Markey’s offered to do so on his award-winning website, www.globalwarming.house.gov, at no cost to BP. Rep. Markey suggests that all congressional committees be given the same unfettered access to the video feed.
Information on the briefing at 2 PM today is below:
The Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will hold a briefing entitled, “Sizing up the BP Oil Spill: Science and Engineering Measuring Methods,” on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building and online at www.energycommerce.house.gov.
WITNESSES:
Steve Wereley, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Richard Camilli, Associate Scientist, Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division, NASA
Frank Muller-Karger, Professor of Biological Oceanography and Remote Sensing, University of South Florida
WHEN: 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
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.
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