Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Sarbanes voted for the Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act (H.R. 3534) when it passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 209 to 193. This legislation includes significant and wide-ranging reforms to ensure that oil and gas development on federal lands and waters is only done when it can be transparent and safe.

Congressman Sarbanes worked to include language in this bill making the CEO at each oil company directly responsible for certifying the safety and adequacy of their drilling and spill response plans.  Congressman Sarbanes’ amendment, which was included in the final bill, would also subject the CEO to civil penalties if he or she files a false certification or their company fails to develop or maintain the capabilities included in their response plans.  This requirement and the potential penalties should result in self-correcting behavior, forcing CEOs to take this process seriously and making it significantly less likely that companies have inferior or faulty plans. 

“Even though BP had a response plan for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it turned out to be a farce,” said Congressman Sarbanes.  “If we want oil companies to take these plans seriously, senior executives must be directly accountable for the safety and adequacy of their drilling and spill response operations.”

“I believe that responsible CEOs will recognize this new requirement for what it is – a very basic standard that should be a best practice for responsible companies anyway.  But for those who try to cut corners, this framework will certainly give them pause because there are real consequences for irresponsible behavior.”

 The CLEAR Act contains other important priorities, including:
• Contains strong new safety measures, including independent certification of critical equipment
• Holds the oil industry fully responsible for cleanup and recovery costs after spills – removing the $75 million cap on economic damages
• Strengthens oversight of oil drilling by restructuring the current scandal ridden agency in charge
• Provides long overdue taxpayer protections, making oil companies pay their fair share for drilling on public lands and for preservation of vital land and water resources throughout the Nation

Congressman Sarbanes also voted for the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 5851), which protects workers who put the people’s interest first and report violations or practices that endanger the public to state and federal government authorities.  Both H.R. 3534 and H.R. 5851 have been referred to the Senate for further consideration.

                                                                                         
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