REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION ON THE BP OIL SPILL
Tuesday, June 16,
2010
Oval Office
8:01 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. As we
speak, our nation faces a multitude of challenges. At home, our
top priority is to recover and rebuild from a recession that has
touched the lives of nearly every American. Abroad, our brave men
and women in uniform are taking the fight to al Qaeda wherever it
exists. And tonight, I’ve returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast
to speak with you about the battle we’re waging against an oil spill
that is assaulting our shores and our citizens.
On April 20th, an explosion ripped through BP Deepwater Horizon
drilling rig, about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven
workers lost their lives. Seventeen others were injured.
And soon, nearly a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, oil began
spewing into the water.
Because there has never been a leak this size at this depth, stopping
it has tested the limits of human technology. That’s why just
after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists
and engineers to tackle this challenge -- a team led by Dr. Steven Chu,
a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s Secretary of
Energy. Scientists at our national labs and experts from academia
and other oil companies have also provided ideas and advice.
As a result of these efforts, we’ve directed BP to mobilize additional
equipment and technology. And in the coming weeks and days, these
efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the
well. This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well
later in the summer that’s expected to stop the leak completely.
Already, this oil spill is the worst environmental disaster America has
ever faced. And unlike an earthquake or a hurricane, it’s not a
single event that does its damage in a matter of minutes or days.
The millions of gallons of oil that have spilled into the Gulf of
Mexico are more like an epidemic, one that we will be fighting for
months and even years.
But make no mistake: We will fight this spill with everything
we’ve got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the
damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s
necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this
tragedy.
Tonight I’d like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going
forward: what we’re doing to clean up the oil, what we’re doing
to help our neighbors in the Gulf, and what we’re doing to make sure
that a catastrophe like this never happens again.
First, the cleanup. From the very beginning of this crisis, the
federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental
cleanup effort in our nation’s history -- an effort led by Admiral Thad
Allen, who has almost 40 years of experience responding to
disasters. We now have nearly 30,000 personnel who are working
across four states to contain and clean up the oil. Thousands of
ships and other vessels are responding in the Gulf. And I’ve
authorized the deployment of over 17,000 National Guard members along
the coast. These servicemen and women are ready to help stop the
oil from coming ashore, they’re ready to help clean the beaches, train
response workers, or even help with processing claims -- and I urge the
governors in the affected states to activate these troops as soon as
possible.
Because of our efforts, millions of gallons of oil have already been
removed from the water through burning, skimming and other collection
methods. Over five and a half million feet of boom has been laid
across the water to block and absorb the approaching oil. We’ve
approved the construction of new barrier islands in Louisiana to try to
stop the oil before it reaches the shore, and we’re working with
Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to implement creative approaches to
their unique coastlines.
As the cleanup continues, we will offer whatever additional resources
and assistance our coastal states may need. Now, a mobilization
of this speed and magnitude will never be perfect, and new challenges
will always arise. I saw and heard evidence of that during this
trip. So if something isn’t working, we want to hear about
it. If there are problems in the operation, we will fix them.
But we have to recognize that despite our best efforts, oil has already
caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife. And sadly, no
matter how effective our response is, there will be more oil and more
damage before this siege is done. That’s why the second thing
we’re focused on is the recovery and restoration of the Gulf Coast.
You know, for generations, men and women who call this region home have
made their living from the water. That living is now in
jeopardy. I’ve talked to shrimpers and fishermen who don’t know
how they’re going to support their families this year. I’ve seen
empty docks and restaurants with fewer customers -– even in areas where
the beaches are not yet affected. I’ve talked to owners of shops
and hotels who wonder when the tourists might start coming back.
The sadness and the anger they feel is not just about the money they’ve
lost. It’s about a wrenching anxiety that their way of life may
be lost.
I refuse to let that happen. Tomorrow, I will meet with the
chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever
resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners
who have been harmed as a result of his company’s recklessness.
And this fund will not be controlled by BP. In order to ensure
that all legitimate claims are paid out in a fair and timely manner,
the account must and will be administered by an independent third
party.
Beyond compensating the people of the Gulf in the short term, it’s also
clear we need a long-term plan to restore the unique beauty and bounty
of this region. The oil spill represents just the latest blow to
a place that’s already suffered multiple economic disasters and decades
of environmental degradation that has led to disappearing wetlands and
habitats. And the region still hasn’t recovered from Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. That’s why we must make a commitment to the
Gulf Coast that goes beyond responding to the crisis of the moment.
I make that commitment tonight. Earlier, I asked Ray Mabus, the
Secretary of the Navy, who is also a former governor of Mississippi and
a son of the Gulf Coast, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration
Plan as soon as possible. The plan will be designed by states,
local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists and
other Gulf residents. And BP will pay for the impact this spill
has had on the region.
The third part of our response plan is the steps we’re taking to ensure
that a disaster like this does not happen again. A few months
ago, I approved a proposal to consider new, limited offshore drilling
under the assurance that it would be absolutely safe –- that the proper
technology would be in place and the necessary precautions would be
taken.
That obviously was not the case in the Deepwater Horizon rig, and I
want to know why. The American people deserve to know why.
The families I met with last week who lost their loved ones in the
explosion -- these families deserve to know why. And so I’ve
established a National Commission to understand the causes of this
disaster and offer recommendations on what additional safety and
environmental standards we need to put in place. Already, I’ve
issued a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. I know this
creates difficulty for the people who work on these rigs, but for the
sake of their safety, and for the sake of the entire region, we need to
know the facts before we allow deepwater drilling to continue.
And while I urge the Commission to complete its work as quickly as
possible, I expect them to do that work thoroughly and
impartially.
One place we’ve already begun to take action is at the agency in charge
of regulating drilling and issuing permits, known as the Minerals
Management Service. Over the last decade, this agency has become
emblematic of a failed philosophy that views all regulation with
hostility -- a philosophy that says corporations should be allowed to
play by their own rules and police themselves. At this agency,
industry insiders were put in charge of industry oversight. Oil
companies showered regulators with gifts and favors, and were
essentially allowed to conduct their own safety inspections and write
their own regulations.
When Ken Salazar became my Secretary of the Interior, one of his very
first acts was to clean up the worst of the corruption at this
agency. But it’s now clear that the problem there ran much
deeper, and the pace of reform was just too slow. And so
Secretary Salazar and I are bringing in new leadership at the agency --
Michael Bromwich, who was a tough federal prosecutor and Inspector
General. And his charge over the next few months is to build an
organization that acts as the oil industry’s watchdog -- not its
partner.
So one of the lessons we’ve learned from this spill is that we need
better regulations, better safety standards, and better enforcement
when it comes to offshore drilling. But a larger lesson is that
no matter how much we improve our regulation of the industry, drilling
for oil these days entails greater risk. After all, oil is a
finite resource. We consume more than 20 percent of the world’s
oil, but have less than 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves.
And that’s part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath
the surface of the ocean -- because we’re running out of places to
drill on land and in shallow water.
For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil
were numbered. For decades, we’ve talked and talked about the
need to end America’s century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And
for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this
challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been
blocked -- not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of
political courage and candor.
The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight.
Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries
that should be right here in America. Each day, we send nearly $1
billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil. And
today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being
threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude.
We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy
unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet
that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now. Now is the
moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash
America’s innovation and seize control of our own destiny.
This is not some distant vision for America. The transition away
from fossil fuels is going to take some time, but over the last year
and a half, we’ve already taken unprecedented action to jumpstart the
clean energy industry. As we speak, old factories are reopening
to produce wind turbines, people are going back to work installing
energy-efficient windows, and small businesses are making solar
panels. Consumers are buying more efficient cars and trucks, and
families are making their homes more energy-efficient. Scientists
and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that someday
will lead to entire new industries.
Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of
us. As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean
energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of
jobs -– but only if we accelerate that transition. Only if we
seize the moment. And only if we rally together and act as one
nation –- workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the
public and private sectors.
When I was a candidate for this office, I laid out a set of principles
that would move our country towards energy independence. Last
year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing
a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill –- a bill that
finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America’s
businesses.
Now, there are costs associated with this transition. And there
are some who believe that we can’t afford those costs right now.
I say we can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy -–
because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and
our environment are far greater.
So I’m happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party -–
as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels. Some
have suggested raising efficiency standards in our buildings like we
did in our cars and trucks. Some believe we should set standards
to ensure that more of our electricity comes from wind and solar
power. Others wonder why the energy industry only spends a
fraction of what the high-tech industry does on research and
development -– and want to rapidly boost our investments in such
research and development.
All of these approaches have merit, and deserve a fair hearing in the
months ahead. But the one approach I will not accept is
inaction. The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that
this challenge is somehow too big and too difficult to meet. You
know, the same thing was said about our ability to produce enough
planes and tanks in World War II. The same thing was said about
our ability to harness the science and technology to land a man safely
on the surface of the moon. And yet, time and again, we have
refused to settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom.
Instead, what has defined us as a nation since our founding is the
capacity to shape our destiny -– our determination to fight for the
America we want for our children. Even if we’re unsure exactly
what that looks like. Even if we don’t yet know precisely how
we’re going to get there. We know we’ll get there.
It’s a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is
that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right
now.
Each year, at the beginning of shrimping season, the region’s fishermen
take part in a tradition that was brought to America long ago by
fishing immigrants from Europe. It’s called “The Blessing of the
Fleet,” and today it’s a celebration where clergy from different
religions gather to say a prayer for the safety and success of the men
and women who will soon head out to sea -– some for weeks at a time.
The ceremony goes on in good times and in bad. It took place
after Katrina, and it took place a few weeks ago –- at the beginning of
the most difficult season these fishermen have ever faced.
And still, they came and they prayed. For as a priest and former
fisherman once said of the tradition, “The blessing is not that God has
promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is
that He is with us always,” a blessing that’s granted “even in the
midst of the storm.”
The oil spill is not the last crisis America will face. This
nation has known hard times before and we will surely know them
again. What sees us through -– what has always seen us through –-
is our strength, our resilience, and our unyielding faith that
something better awaits us if we summon the courage to reach for it.
Tonight, we pray for that courage. We pray for the people of the
Gulf. And we pray that a hand may guide us through the storm
towards a brighter day. Thank you, God bless you, and may God
bless the United States of America.
END
8:18
P.M. EDT
STATEMENT
from
the Republican National Committee
June 15, 2010
STATEMENT FROM RNC
CHAIRMAN MICHAEL STEELE ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADDRESS ON THE GULF OIL
SPILL
WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael
Steele released the following statement this evening:
“Manipulating this tragic, national crisis for selfish political gain
not only demonstrates President Obama’s inability to aptly lead our
nation out of a disaster, but also reveals the appallingly arrogant
political calculus of this White House. Exploiting the tragedy in the
Gulf to try to ram through a devastating job-killing national energy
tax is more of the same Chicago-style politics that has the President’s
approval ratings plummeting to an all-time low. Instead of leveraging
this crisis to manufacture knee-jerk political support for
cap-and-trade energy taxes, President Obama should focus on providing
the people of the Gulf with real and honest solutions to this horrible
environmental disaster that this Administration has been slow in waking
up to.” – RNC Chairman Michael Steele