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For Immediate Release, June 15, 2010

Contact: 

Bill Snape, bsnape@biologicaldiversity.org, (202) 536-9351

Center for Biological Diversity Statement on President Obama's Oval Office Speech

WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity issued the following statement today from Executive Director Kierán Suckling in response to President Obama’s Oval Office speech on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

“President Obama is right in trying to hold BP financially accountable for the disastrous effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He should do everything in his power to make that happen. But the federal government needs to go farther to make sure a similar catastrophe never happens again in this country.

“Just as BP must be held accountable, government officials who had a hand in allowing this to happen must also be held accountable. That includes the Department of the Interior, which rubber-stamped the Deepwater Horizon project without much-needed environmental reviews.

“It’s also time to end the use of environmental waivers for drilling projects and to call off proposed offshore drilling projects along America’s fragile coasts.

“We’re glad to hear the president wants to move toward cleaner energy policies, but they can't simultaneously include incentives for more offshore drilling or the gutting of our nation's flagship environmental laws — like the current Kerry-Lieberman bill — and they must reduce carbon to levels that scientists say will help avoid the worst effects of climate change.”


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