[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10509]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     BP OIL SPILL DISASTER: DAY 52

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today represents day 52 of the worst 
environmental disaster in U.S. history, and on this 52nd day, BP is no 
closer to finding a solution. As families and small businesses in the 
Florida Keys and across the gulf coast continue to suffer, BP has 
failed to come through on an effective strategy for plugging the 
gushing rig and for picking up the oil.
  My office has been flooded with calls from constituents eager to 
offer their assistance in the cleanup effort. Commercial fishermen, 
charter boat captains stand ready to lay boom and skim oil before it 
reaches the shore. Community organizations like United Way and the 
Florida Keys Environment Coalition have gathered volunteers ready to 
patrol the shoreline searching for tar balls. Unfortunately, BP has not 
provided these groups with the necessary training to assist in the 
cleanup effort.
  As many constituents have complained to me, BP is failing to utilize 
members of the Keys community. Instead, BP is waiting until oil washes 
ashore to take action.
  Additionally, many residents have called to offer their suggestions 
on how to clean up this mess. I sincerely hope that BP is giving due 
consideration to all of these suggestions. Clearly, BP's plan has not 
worked. The cleanup plan in Louisiana is abysmal. It is time for BP to 
look elsewhere.
  Yesterday, I met with BP executives to discuss the company's slow, 
uncoordinated, and half-baked response efforts in Florida. At this 
meeting, I relayed the frustrations of many south Florida small 
business owners who are going through the BP claims process. These 
individuals are required to go through a long, complicated, and 
belittling process in order to receive the compensation that they serve 
because, for their economic loss, they had a downturn in business as a 
result of the premature panic from the BP oil spill.

                              {time}  1545

  Let me be clear: These hardworking men and women are not looking for 
a handout, Mr. Speaker. They would much rather be working. 
Unfortunately, the disaster in the gulf has taken a tremendous toll on 
fishermen, on dive shops, on restaurants, on motels, and many tourist-
related businesses in the Keys.
  BP needs to completely revamp its claims process. In the Keys, two 
claims offices opened by BP are virtually useless. Individuals seeking 
compensation leave these offices with stacks of complicated paperwork, 
legal documentation, and little guidance.
  I have requested detailed information from BP on its claims process. 
We need to demand complete transparency in this process, including data 
on how claims are being evaluated, how payment sums are being 
determined, and how quickly claims are being processed. Complicated 
legal documents just will not do.
  On a related note, the Federal agencies need to come up with a plan 
in the event of a tropical storm or hurricane in the gulf. Hurricane 
season has just started. Experts at the National Hurricane Center 
predict that the 2010 hurricane season could be one of the most active 
on record. Forecasters are predicting anywhere between 14 to 23 named 
storms this season. Of course, it only takes one. Just ask the Florida 
residents who suffered through Hurricane Andrew, or just ask those 
residents in New Orleans who are still recovering from Hurricane 
Katrina.
  In addition to a predicted active storm season, our communities are 
now saddled with the uncertainty of an oil spill. The ruptured oil rig 
is located right in the middle of hurricane alley. Scientists have 
suggested that the sheer strength of a hurricane could turn the oil 
slick into a devastating black surf. I shudder to think of the long-
term economic devastation and environmental damage caused by this toxic 
combination.
  BP and, indeed, all of our Federal agencies must prepare now for a 
worst-case scenario later. BP cannot continue to sit idly by while 
communities are destroyed.

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