WASHINGTON - As concerns grow that the ExxonMobil pipeline spill into the Yellowstone River may be larger than previously thought, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, called for investigative hearings to be held into the incident and related safety and environmental issues. Rep. Markey and other Democratic leaders in Congress held dozens of hearings into the BP Gulf of Mexico spill in 2010, and today Rep. Markey challenged his Republican colleagues to continue thorough oversight of the oil industry and accidental oil spills.
“ExxonMobil has turned parts of the Yellowstone River black with their spilled oil. Just as BP was held to account for their accident in the Gulf of Mexico, ExxonMobil should appear before Congress so that we can examine the holes in oil pipeline safety that led to this incident and how we might prevent another spill in the future," said Rep. Markey.
Several aspects of pipeline safety regulations may need review based on this disaster. ExxonMobil has said that the pipeline has been examined within the five-year increments as required by law. Rep. Markey today asserted that timeline may need to be reduced, in light of this accident and others over the last few years. In addition, the ExxonMobil pipeline was encased in cement. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System that spilled oil in January also has sections encased in cement, which led to an inability to properly inspect parts of the pipeline.
“Given the recent history of pipeline spills and aging infrastructure, the oil industry should be willing to inspect their pipelines more often and more thoroughly," said Rep. Markey. “Doing only the bare minimum of inspections will inevitably lead to more risk, and greater costs to the environment and to the oil industry."
