Western Senators Propose Ban on Pacific Drilling

The senators from such western states as California, Oregon, and Washington have proposed new legislation prohibiting drilling in the Pacific Ocean. In light of the recent oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, congressmen banded together to keep their coasts safe, even though there were currently no major plans to drill. California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, even withdrew his minor plan to begin drilling off the coast of his state.

Other senators have been called to action by this event. Democratic senators from New Jersey and Florida have also proposed an increase in monetary liability for responsible oil companies. This increase would take the liability from 75 million to 10 billion dollars. This bill is not fully supported. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican in favor of off shore drilling, is sponsoring a separate bill to raise oil taxes as an alternative to the Democratic proposal. President Obama has show support for plans to hold oil companies responsible, but has not specified what the liability limit should be.

The Minerals Management Service has put into motion plans to reorganize the agency. By breaking the agency into two separate parts, Ken Salazar hopes to weaken the “too-close” relationship between companies and federal officials. This is an example of how the iron triangle can be counterproductive. This new structure will promote safety and environmental enforcement.

Despite the measures to prevent future oil catastrophes, the estimated cost of the Gulf of Mexico disaster is 450 million dollars. The immeasurable cost of the loss of animal life and damage to the gulf is warrant enough for a significant raise in oil company liability. More should be done to hold the companies responsible. New drilling projects would be irresponsible until we are certain this situation cannot happen again.