Wednesday, June 16, 2010
 
sponsored by

Illinois congressmen, candidate speak about oil spill

Send a link to a friend

[June 16, 2010]  SPRINGFIELD -- In a lead-up to President Barack Obama's prime-time television address set for Tuesday night on the Gulf oil spill, Illinois' congressmen and the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate voiced their concerns Tuesday about the disaster.

The oil spill, caused by an explosion on a BP offshore drilling rig on April 20, has become a massive problem as efforts to contain it have largely failed. It is estimated that it could take until December to completely contain the spill. The ruptured pipe could be leaking as much as 3.8 million liters of oil a day. Officials say there is no way to know what the extent of the damage will be.

But Illinois' congressmen said they are focused on containing the damage and making sure this never happens again.

U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Illinois, co-authored a letter to Obama with U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, requesting an analysis of the potential impact of the spill on the Mississippi River.

While there is not yet any evidence of damage in the Midwest from the oil spill, Hare said that if the oil somehow reaches the Mississippi, he wants to make sure the government is out in front of it.

"A disaster of this magnitude can have a nationwide impact," Hare said in a statement. "While Mississippi River passages are clear right now, there is no telling how long this spill will continue. It is imperative to farmers in my district that the Southwest Passage and other Mississippi River shipping lanes are kept clear. The purpose of our letter was to put this on President Obama and Admiral Allen's radar screen and request that they closely monitor it going forward."

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, participated in an Energy and Commerce Committee meeting on Tuesday, which questioned executives from BP about the spill.

During the meeting, Shimkus said he is focused on creating ways to contain future oil spills before they create as much damage as the current spill.

"The industry (needs to) start talking about a consortium of an emergency response team that we can mobilize," Shimkus said. "Even in the emergency response plans, we are projecting billions of barrels (leaked). This is something -- we have been overwhelmed."

[to top of second column]

Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois treasurer and Democratic candidate for Obama's former Senate seat now held by Roland Burris, is asking for a temporary halt to new drilling permits as a key part of his economic agenda.

"I'm also calling for a six-month moratorium on all new offshore drilling permits," Giannoulias said during a conference call with the media. "During that time, the federal government must establish new permit protection zones for the most fragile sections of our coasts and enable states to veto new offshore drilling permits in their waters."

But Shimkus said cutting back on drilling is not the answer.

"And I think what we're learning is that there is lost livelihood on the coast because of the environmental disaster," Shimkus said. "We need to be careful not to compound that loss of jobs and economy by shutting down operations right now."

BP and the government are expected to spend billions of dollars to help restore the Gulf Coast's ecosystem.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By JENNIFER WESSNER]

< Top Stories index

Back to top


 

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching and Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law and Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health and Fitness | Teen Scene
Calendar | Letters to the Editor