Press Releases
Markey: Transocean Guilty Plea Shows Oil Companies Will be Held Responsible for their Spills
WASHINGTON (January 3, 2013) Today, the Department of Justice announced that Transocean has agreed to plead guilty and pay $1.4 billion in criminal and civil penalties for the oil company's role in the 2010 BP spill. Below is the statement of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who is the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee: "Today's announcement by the Justice Department is a critical step by the Obama Administration to hold all of the oil companies that were responsible for the worst envir… Continue Reading
12.31.12
Markey Statement on Arctic Rig Accident
Congressman Previously Questioned Safety of Arctic Drilling WASHINGTON (January 1, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) expressed concern that a Shell Oil drilling rig has run aground in Alaska after it broke free from its moorings and from the towboats that had been pulling it to safety. Rep. Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which oversees oil drilling, previously questioned the safety of drilling in the Arctic, most recently following the failure of a containment dome … Continue Reading
12.21.12
Markey Praises Final EPA Boiler Pollution Standards
WASHINGTON (December 21, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their final pollution control standards for America's industrial boilers used in major manufacturing facilities and elsewhere. The new standards will reduce many types of pollution, including toxic mercury and weather-changing carbon pollution. Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commer… Continue Reading
12.19.12
NatRes Dems, Citing Troubling Assessments of America’s Natural Resources, Calls for Climate Hearings in New Congress
Send Letter to Chairman Hastings on Colorado River Basin, Animal Species, Wildfire Threats from Climate Change WASHINGTON (December 19, 2012) -Several Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee, citing recent assessments by the U.S. government of climate threats against America's natural resources, today called on committee Republicans to immediately hold hearings on climate change and America's natural heritage. A ten year assessment released yesterday by the Forest Service on the condition… Continue Reading
12.17.12
Markey Exposes Huge Flaws in Natural Gas Export Report
Report to DOE Uses Outdated Data, Understates Impacts, Writes Congressman to DOE; Asks for New Analysis WASHINGTON (December 17, 2012) -- A report submitted to the Department of Energy on the impacts of natural gas exports uses two-year-old data and makes other key missteps, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) pointed out in a comprehensive critique of the study sent to DOE Secretary Steven Chu. The critique comes as some are using the flawed report to advocate for a national policy on natural gas export… Continue Reading
12.13.12
Markey, Leading Democrats Introduce Drought Relief Climate Legislation
2012 drought on par with worst months of Dust Bowl era WASHINGTON (December, 13,2012)- This year's climate-change driven extreme heat has contributed to widespread drought across the United States, with over sixty percent of the nation experiencing some form of drought during 2012. Today, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and other leading House Democrats introduced legislation to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991,… Continue Reading
12.13.12
Markey Pushes BP, Coast Guard to Release Results of Macondo Survey
BP Stonewalling Congress on Oil Sheen Information WASHINGTON (December 13, 2012) -- Today BP's undersea rovers are conducting a delayed survey of the underwater wreckage and area surrounding the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, following the second incident of a detected oil sheen. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today renewed his call for BP, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, to release all information related to the surveys of the Deepwater Horizon wreckage and the surrounding area, including vide… Continue Reading
12.07.12
Markey, Lujan Press Obama Admin. on Indian Children Foster Care Abuses
WASHINGTON (December 7, 2012) - More than one year after an investigation by National Public Radio revealed widespread and troubling abuses of the foster care system in South Dakota as it relates to Indian children in the state, conditions in the state are reportedly getting worse. Accordingly, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal Indian affairs, and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Ind… Continue Reading
12.07.12
Markey, Waxman to Continue Probe of Presence of New Oil Sheen Near Macondo Well
BP Failed to Fully Respond to Committee Requests WASHINGTON (December 7, 2012) - Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) today sought information from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding BP and Transocean's plan to re-inspect the underwater wreckage and the well head from the Deepwater Horizon disaster using subsea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The need to re-inspect the area stems from the detection of an oil sheen on November 2, 2012, the second such incident inside o… Continue Reading
12.06.12
Markey, 70 House Dems Urge Boehner, Obama to Drive Oil and Gas Industry Giveaways Off the Cliff
WASHINGTON (December 6, 2012) -- Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass), along with 70 other House Democrats, called on Speaker John Boehner and President Obama , to eliminate the tens of billions of dollars in tax breaks and loopholes given to the oil and gas industry as part of any fiscal cliff compromise. In a letter sent by the 71 lawmakers, they outline how preferential treatment for oil and gas companies is unnecessary given that oil and gas is one of the most profitable industries in the world, … Continue Reading
12.06.12
Markey, Lujan Press Obama Admin. on Indian Children Foster Care Abuses
WASHINGTON (December 7, 2012) - More than one year after an investigation by National Public Radio revealed widespread and troubling abuses of the foster care system in South Dakota as it relates to Indian children in the state, conditions in the state are reportedly getting worse. Accordingly, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal Indian affairs, and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Ind… Continue Reading
12.05.12
Markey Statement on DOE-requested Natural Gas Export Report
Exports Will Raise Energy Prices, Transfer Wealth from Working Americans to Corporations WASHINGTON (December 5, 2012) - A report on natural gas exports by a consulting firm released today by the Department of Energy as part of their analysis of expanded exports of the fuel confirms that prices for American and manufacturers will rise from expanded exports, and constitute a massive transfer of wealth from working Americans to natural gas production and export companies. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)… Continue Reading
12.05.12
Markey Re-elected to Lead Natural Resources Democrats
WASHINGTON (December 5, 2012) - Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) was today selected by the House Democratic Caucus to be the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee for the 113th Congress. House Republican leadership pushed the most anti-environmental agenda in history, but none of their bills to roll back clean air, water or public land protections became law during Rep. Markey's tenure as the Ranking Member. "This was the most anti-environmental Congress in history, and our Democratic … Continue Reading
12.05.12
Markey Questions Interior on Failed Arctic Spill Containment Test
E-mails Describe Containment Dome "Crushed Like a Beer Can" During September Test WASHINGTON (December 5, 2012) - After recently released e-mails at the Department of Interior show that a September test conducted by the Shell oil company on a containment system for Arctic drilling spills failed spectacularly, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today expressed concerns whether the company or others could safely drill in the harsh Arctic environment and whether other industry containment systems are at ris… Continue Reading
11.30.12
Markey: Wind Lease Sale Brings America Closer to Offshore Wind Revolution
Areas Proposed for Leasing Could Power 1.4 Million Homes WASHINGTON (November 30, 2012) -- Today the Interior Department announced the first-ever competitive lease sales for renewable energy development in federal waters offshore. The lease sales, to be held next year, will offer some of the nation's best offshore wind resources in one area identified off the coast of Virginia and another area off of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "This wind lease sale will bring America closer to unleashing … Continue Reading
11.30.12
Markey: Coral ESA Proposal Recognizes Ocean is Ground Zero for Climate Change
WASHINGTON (November 30, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) hailed the proposal made today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to take action to protect several coral species under the Endangered Species Act. As NOAA notes in their proposal, the three major threats to coral are either directly or indirectly related to climate change: rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and disease. Rep. Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdic… Continue Reading
11.28.12
Markey: BP Suspension of Government Contracts Proper Punishment
WASHINGTON (November 28, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today praised the Obama administration for suspending BP's access to federal contracts, including new drilling leases on taxpayer-owned land. Rep. Markey had originally raised the issue of whether BP should be suspended or disbarred from future lease sales at an oversight hearing in October of 2011 with the then-head of the leasing arm of the Department of Interior, saying that those measures should be considered, "to protect everyone fro… Continue Reading
11.28.12
Markey Praises CIFIUS Review of CNOOC-Nexen Deal
Lawmaker Raised Gulf of Mexico Lease Holding Issue in July; Markey Released Report Showing Vast Holdings of Free Drilling Leases by Foreign Governments WASHINGTON (November 28, 2012) - According to the Canadian oil company Nexen, the deal for a planned takeover by the Chinese state-owned oil giant CNOOC has been resubmitted for review by the U.S. government due to lease holdings and operations in the Gulf of Mexico that could be transferred to China. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) first raised the fa… Continue Reading
11.27.12
Markey: Climate Negotiators in Qatar Desert Shouldn’t Forget Superstorm Sandy
Emissions Cuts, Adaptation Money Desperately Needed in Face of Accelerating Climate Change WASHINGTON (November 26, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today called on the U.S. delegation to the climate talks in Doha, Qatar to take the strongest possible position on cutting the carbon emissions that are driving climate change, and to work on creating a funding stream for adaptation measures. Rep. Markey noted that in the wake of Superstorm Sandy as part of a record-breaking two years of extreme we… Continue Reading
11.16.12
Markey: Gulf Oil Rig Explosion Highlights Continued Dangers of Offshore Drilling
Accident at Rig Claims 2 Lives, 2 Missing; Comes Day After BP Criminal Settlement WASHINGTON (November 16, 2012) - Just one day following the federal government's settlement with BP for 14 criminal charges relating to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, another explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico claimed two lives today, with two more missing and several injured. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today expressed sympathy for the deceased, missing and wounded workers, and renewed his c… Continue Reading