Oversight Hearing on the Use of Oil Dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Link to Opening Statement Thank you, Madam Chair, for scheduling today's important hearing to examine the use and impacts of oil dispersants to mitigate the BP oil spill. Following the tragic Exxon Valdez oil spill, the National Contingency Plan (NCP) was updated to address new issues that might arise in the event of an oil spill of national significance. Among other things, the NCP was amended to require a pre-approved list of dispersants deemed safe for emergency use by the Environmental Protection Agency. By creating a pre-approved list, oil spill responders have an effective tool to fight the devastating effects of an oil spill quickly and without bureaucratic delay.