from the desk of mr chrisattack

Thank you for contacting me regarding the explosion of the   Deepwater Horizon  oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas endangerment finding. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those lost and injured in the accident, and I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on these important matters.  As you know, on April 20, 2010, the   Deepwater Horizon  drilling platform exploded and sank, tragically taking the lives of eleven employees. The platform, which was leased to BP and operated by Transocean Ltd., was completing the final stages of drilling a well for subsea production when a blowout—caused by a methane bubble in the riser pipe and subsequent failure of the containment system—ignited a sudden blast aboard the vessel. The gravity of the situation was further compounded by the discovery that the damaged wellhead and broken pipe are presently leaking several thousand barrels of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico.   As efforts are underway to stem the flow of oil from the ruptured well site, our focus must be on coordinating a strong and comprehensive response effort to address the evolving situation in the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of personnel and volunteers were deployed to clean up the spilled oil, and a variety of approaches—dispersant spraying, in-situ burning, skimming, and barrier booms—will be used to contain the oil and protect our sensitive ecological areas. Furthermore, as the exact cause of the accident is established, appropriate steps must be taken to prevent a repeat of this disaster, and to ensure accountability in the future.   While I agree that we must learn from the mistakes that occurred in this accident, I believe that it is equally important to employ a balanced approach that does not disadvantage the United States’ energy position. The United States currently imports a vast amount of oil and gas from foreign sources, some of whom may be potentially hostile to our nation, and energy prices are rising as the result of worldwide demand. Ensuring domestic energy production is essential to reducing our reliance on foreign oil and achieving future energy security; therefore, I will continue to support an energy policy which includes the responsible exploration of our offshore oil reserves. Furthermore, I will continue to carefully monitor the oil spill and its impact on the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding areas.  Secondly, in April 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded in   Massachusetts v. EPA that carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases may be regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA). In response to this decision, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a finding on December 7, 2009, that the present concentrations of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, constitute an endangerment to public health and welfare. A second EPA finding concluded that emissions from new motor vehicles and their engines also endanger public health, and therefore are also subject to regulation under the CAA. I am pleased that our nation’s air quality has steadily improved since implementation of the CAA; however, I remain concerned that the treatment of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, as pollutants under the CAA is a disservice to the American people and misrepresents the legislative intent of the Act.  I support efforts to improve our nation’s air quality based on sound scientific and economic principles. However, the EPA’s determination on this matter disregards numerous proposals before Congress that seek to address our nation’s environmental challenges, in favor of expanding EPA’s regulatory authority under the CAA. Any decisions regarding how to control greenhouse gas emissions should take into consideration the impact these costly regulations will have on stakeholders, including states, industries, and citizens. Furthermore, it is essential that this process is transparent and accountable to all Americans, and I strongly believe that Congress is the most appropriate forum to review the scope and magnitude of the impact that the EPA’s endangerment finding would have on our economy.   As such, I joined several of my Senate colleagues in co-sponsoring Senate Joint Resolution 26 (S.J. Res. 26), a resolution which would have prevented the EPA from moving forward with their endangerment finding or proposing any substantially similar regulations. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to enact S.J. Res. 26 when it was considered on June 10, 2010, and I remain concerned about the consequences of empowering unelected bureaucrats to impose a new national energy tax on American families. As a member of the United States Senate, I look forward to a full and open policy debate regarding environmental issues, and you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind as the Senate continues its work on this matter.   I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.  Sincerely,  JOHN CORNYN United States Senator