WASHINGTON (October 26, 2011) – Following the first deepwater drilling permit granted by the Department of Interior to BP following their Gulf of Mexico spill, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement:
 
“The fact that BP is getting a permit to drill without yet paying a single cent in fines is a disappointment, and does not serve as an effective lesson of deterrence for oil and gas companies. The Obama administration should move with all haste to assess and collect the fines from BP’s spill, and BP should do its part as a good corporate citizen and end its litigation over the size of the spill, which determines the fines it will pay.
 
“There will be a day when BP could be a welcome partner in the safe extraction of American oil and gas reserves, but today is not that day with the outstanding billions still not assessed and still not paid.”
 
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