NRDC President: House Continues Its Reckless March Toward More Drilling

WASHINGTON (May 11, 2011) - After the House today took another step toward increasing offshore drilling while decreasing safety precautions, Frances Beinecke, NRDC’s president and a former member of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, made the following statement:

“The House continues its reckless march toward increasing offshore drilling while totally disregarding the lessons learned from the Gulf of Mexico disaster or the fact that more drilling won’t make a noticeable difference at the pump,” Beinecke said.

“Instead of doing Big Oil companies’ bidding and granting their every wish, lawmakers ought to be following the Senate’s lead in seeking to end Big Oil tax breaks and also push for solutions that can make a real difference at the pump - like encouraging the development of more efficient vehicles.”

For Beinecke’s blog on the issue, please see: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/fbeinecke/new_drilling_bills_will_do_not.html

For an explanation of the House drilling bills, please see NRDC government affairs director David
Goldston’s blog here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dgoldston/casting_oil_upon_the_waters_th.html

For a link to what media outlets are writing about the drilling bills, see here:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/bkeefe/on_offshore_drilling_voices_of.html

And to speak with an NRDC expert on drilling, legislation or gas prices, please contact Elizabeth Heyd, 202-289-2424, eheyd@nrdc.org or Bob Keefe, 202-289-2373, bkeefe@nrdc.org