WASHINGTON (July 12, 2010) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement on the new moratorium on deepwater oil and gas exploration issued by the Obama administration today. Rep. Markey is chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

“This moratorium will reduce oil spill risk while the Gulf will continue to produce oil. As new laws and safety measures are put into place on these few dozen rigs, 97 percent of the manned rigs in the Gulf will still be allowed to work.

“When every single resource available is being deployed to combat this one spill, what would we do if there were another? The only thing worse than one rig at the bottom of the Gulf would be two.

“Before these few dozen rigs can be pushed back into service, we need to know that it is safe, and that the oil companies finally take their response responsibilities seriously. Until then, we must first compensate the workers from these rigs and allow new safety measures to be put into place.”

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