Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 18, 2010. As the Committee with primary jurisdiction over offshore oil and gas drilling, the House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), will hold a seven-part oversight hearing series to investigate the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and examine the future of America’s offshore oil and gas policy.
Rahall will kick off the series with two Full Committee oversight hearings on May 26 and May 27, followed by five Subcommittee hearings to look at many issues related to the incident in more detail – from MMS’ enforcement of safety regulations to the impacts the spill is having on the huge range of natural resources in the Gulf.
“I will ensure that we exercise our oversight responsibilities to the fullest extent. We will vigorously investigate what happened in the Gulf of Mexico, but we will do so in the broader context of what this means for future offshore leasing. The Committee will take a comprehensive look at MMS’ regulations to determine if remedial actions may be necessary to prevent such a tragic disaster from occurring again,” said Rahall.
Chairman Rahall has been aggressively involved with the oversight of offshore oil and gas drilling for over three decades. Since becoming Chairman in 2007, Rahall has led the Committee in holding nearly 20 oversight and legislative hearings on offshore oil and gas drilling.
Source: resourcescommittee.house.gov
