Number: 2011-02
WHEREAS, the Deepwater Horizon disaster highlighted major deficiencies in the current regulatory framework for offshore drilling; and
WHEREAS, oil spill response technology and capacity has improved little since the Exxon Valdez disaster two decades ago; and
WHEREAS, the United States has an unacceptably high fatality rate in offshore oil and gas drilling, and the industry has a lengthy record of spills and near-misses; and
WHEREAS, the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling recommended a slate of reforms and measures that would greatly increase the safety of that industry; and
WHEREAS, the Deepwater Horizon disaster caused widespread ecological damage in the Gulf which may last for decades; and
WHEREAS, the Deepwater Horizon disaster impacted not only the region’s energy sector but also the men and women who make their living harvesting the Gulf’s fish, oysters, and shrimp, and the workers in the tourism sector and elsewhere who depend upon the beauty, health and vitality of the Gulf for their livelihoods;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its annual meeting assembled April 14-16, 2011 in Washington, DC, supports the reforms proposed by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NWF supports stronger safety regulations at each step of the offshore oil and gas leasing process nationwide, including pre-lease environmental assessments, industry response plans, and on-site inspections; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NWF supports legislation to lift or significantly raise the liability cap for offshore oil and gas developers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NWF supports current policy to leave the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast from California to Washington off-limits to drilling, and supports policies that ensure that drilling in the central and western Gulf and frontier or high-risk areas is only undertaken if adequate safety, oversight and spill response measures are in place; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NWF is committed to ensuring that such legislation and regulations are implemented in a manner consistent with the long-term needs of Gulf residents, the region’s wildlife and in the national interest.