Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 18, 2010. This morning, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, chaired by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), received a call from a senior official with British Petroleum (BP) indicating that BP has agreed to comply with a request made by Senator Boxer and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) that the company release all video records showing details of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, where the Deepwater Horizon rig sank last month. (The text of the Senators’ letter to BP is attached below).
The BP official said that they plan to provide all video records to Sen. Boxer and Senator Nelson, and will begin providing video today, prior to oversight hearings scheduled this afternoon in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Senator Boxer said, “These films are critical to understanding the volume of the spill, the reach of the spill, and the results of the efforts so far to contain it.”
“The scientific community is a valuable resource in tracking and responding to this spill,” said Senator Nelson. “And we need to give our scientists a much broader video record.”
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May 17, 2010
Mr. Lamar McKay
Chairman and President
BP America, Inc.
501 Westlake Park Boulevard
Houston, TX 77079
Dear Mr. McKay:
We’re writing to reiterate our request that BP provide us with all video records of the Deepwater Horizon well and associated spill. We also believe that the public and the scientific communities should have access to these materials.
After our initial request, BP suggested the video was released under the authorization of the Unified Command. We have contacted the Unified Command and to date have not identified any restriction on BP’s ability to release these records.
Therefore, we’re asking again that you immediately make available all video records of the Deepwater Horizon wellhead and broken pipe for the purposes of Senate oversight.
Thank you for your cooperation with this request.
Sincerely,
________________________ _________________________
Senator Bill Nelson Senator Barbara Boxer
Source: epw.senate.gov
