Oil Companies Should Be Held Accountable For Damages

Press Release

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today joined efforts to hold big oil companies accountable for the damage caused by oil spills like the one in the Gulf of Mexico. Pingree has co-sponsored the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which raises the cap on liability for an oil spill from $75 million to $10 billion. The bill also lifts the $1 billion payout limit from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which is funded by oil companies.

Pingree joined 8 other Members of Congress at a news conference in Washington today to call for a crack down on dangerous offshore drilling and to hold oil companies accountable.

"Letting BP off the hook for $75 million is outrageous," Pingree said. "They make more than that in profit in a single day. When an oil company causes this kind of spill, they should pay for the clean up and the damage to the coastal economy. Taxpayers and fishing families shouldn't be the ones to bear the burden."

At the news conference, Pingree also talked about Maine's leadership in developing offshore wind power.

"We face a choice," Pingree said. "Do we build more offshore oil rigs and risk more massive oil spills or do we build offshore wind turbines that present little environmental risk and will create good paying jobs in the clean energy industry?"

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