Press Releases
Markey to SEC: Natural Gas Reporting Rules Violating "Trust, but Verify" Principle
New Rules by Financial Watchdog Allows Self-Reporting of Reserves by NatGas Cos.; Congressman Sends Investigative Letter to Agency WASHINGTON (June 27, 2011) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the Securities and Exchange Commission whether a 2008 rule allowing natural gas companies more flexibility in how they reported on unproven gas reserves had allowed the companies to paint an overly-optimistic picture of their reserves and the industry's potential contribution to America's ener… Continue Reading
06.26.11
Markey Questions Natural Gas Shale Reserves
Asks EIA for Methodology, Materials Supporting Bullish Fuel Claims WASHINGTON (June 27, 2011) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the energy experts working for the United States government to justify their bullish claims on natural gas resources and reserves in light of reports in The New York Times indicating skepticism exists within the Energy Information Administration (EIA) about its own estimates. In a letter to the head of the EIA, Rep. Markey asked how the agency was justifying optim… Continue Reading
06.23.11
Natural Resources Democrats Oppose Failing Republican "Self-Report Card"
GOP's "Activity Report" Proves that Action Doesn't Equal Achievement; Republicans Rejecting Democratic Bills and Hearings WASHINGTON (June 24, 2011) - Republican changes for the 112th Congress included switching back to Styrofoam cups, new budgetary restrictions that protect corporate loopholes for oil companies, and biannual self-congratulatory "activity reports." Today the Democratic members of the Natural Resources Committee assailed this first missive from their Republican counterparts as a… Continue Reading
06.22.11
Markey: Administration Follows Markey Legislation to Release 30 Million Barrels from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
WASHINGTON (June 23, 2011) - After months of calls by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to follow his legislation and release at least 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to respond to supply disruptions from Middle East strife and increased prices on American consumers, the Obama administration today announced that they would do just that. The action from the Department of Energy would also include an additional release of 30 million barrels from international partners such as… Continue Reading
06.21.11
Markey: Circular Finger-Pointing by Oil Companies Highlights Need for Better Safety Standards
WASHINGTON (June 22, 2011) - Transocean, the company that owned the drilling rig involved in the BP oil spill, today issued a report that continues the pattern of the companies involved in the spill passing blame in advance of expected protracted litigation. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the principal force in Congress pushing for oversight of the spill and the response, issued the following statement in response. Rep. Markey is the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisd… Continue Reading
06.20.11
Markey Statement on Cobell Settlement
WASHINGTON (June 21, 2011) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over Native American issues, today praised the successful completion of a settlement to repay hundreds of thousands of Native Americans, effectively resolving over a century of mismanagement of trust funds and land claims. The settlement was authorized last year by a Democratic-controlled Congress by an overwhelming margin of 256-152, but still required the ap… Continue Reading
06.19.11
Markey Statement on SCOTUS Decision on Global Warming Emissions
WASHINGTON (June 20, 2011) - Following the 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate heat-trapping emissions, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the only climate bill to have passed a body of Congress and the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement: "This unanimous decision by the highest court in the land shows that the ideological attacks against the EPA a… Continue Reading
06.19.11
New Report: National Climate and Energy Plan Needed
GAO Report Released by Rep. Markey Details Climate Funding, Programs in Federal Gov't WASHINGTON (June 20, 2011) - A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) recommends that the federal government set clear strategic priorities and goals to align funding for emissions-reducing technologies and climate research with national efforts to address climate change. The report examined funding from 2003 to 2010 for activities related to climate change… Continue Reading
06.19.11
Markey: Stopping Grand Canyon Uranium Mining Avoids Potential for Grand Mistake
WASHINGTON (June 20, 2011) -- Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) praised the Department of Interior today for their actions to prevent the expansion of potentially damaging uranium mining surrounding the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Natural Resources Democrats passed in 2008 a resolution requiring then-Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to suspend mining operations. The Bush administration ignored the recommendation, but the Obama administration is following those recommendations today. "Stopping unnece… Continue Reading
06.15.11
NEW VIDEO: Speculative Oil Trading, As Explained by "Trading Places"
As Republicans Move to Cut CFTC Speculation Investigations, Oil Traders Follow Old Script WASHINGTON (June 16, 2011) - Whether it's fictional trading of frozen, concentrated orange juice or real-life speculation of light sweet crude oil prices, Wall Street traders will continue to follow a similar script of price manipulation if House Republicans have their way. In a humorous video using the Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd comedy "Trading Places," the Natural Resources Democrats and Ranking Member Ed … Continue Reading
06.08.11
Markey: OPEC Refusal to Boost Supply Means America Must Reduce OPEC Dependence, Prepare Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Decision Shows OPEC Sets Market, Price and Has Been Hijacked by Iran, Venezuela WASHINGTON (June 8, 2011) - With the stunning decision by the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries to not increase production despite continued high prices, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today said that the United States must engage in a full-scale OPEC oil independence campaign in the long-term to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and prepare to use the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the short… Continue Reading
06.01.11
Markey to NOAA: What's Up with the Wild Weather?
Congressman Asks for Analysis of Recent Extreme Weather Events, Effects of Republican Budget Cuts on Monitoring, Citizen Warnings, Research WASHINGTON (June 2, 2011) - In the wake of extreme weather events like this week's spate of tornados in Massachusetts, and now the beginning of hurricane season in the United States, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the national scientific body tasked with monitoring and analyzing the nation's weather and climate for answers about these extreme weather … Continue Reading
05.25.11
Markey: Obama Admin. Shows Regulatory Protections Don't Have to Be an Endangered Species
WASHINGTON -- Following the Obama administration's announced modernization of how the Endangered Species Act is implemented, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement: "This modernization of the ESA shows that regulatory protections don't have to be an endangered species, they just need common-sense updates. The Obama administration knows we can preserve bedrock protections for wildlife habitat and still fin… Continue Reading
05.24.11
Markey: Time to Take Warming-Driven Extreme Weather Trends Seriously
Republican Cuts to NOAA and Weather Service Flies in Face of Recent Reports Showing Increasing Climate Change Concerns Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable \t{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; \tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; \tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0; \tmso-style-noshow:yes; \tmso-style-priority:99; \tmso-style-qformat:yes;… Continue Reading
05.18.11
Markey, "Little Darth Vader" Use The Force to Push for Clean Energy, Lower Gas Prices
Lawmaker Calls for Clean Energy Revolution in New Video For Inaugural YouTube Town Hall Challenge WASHINGTON DC (May 19th, 2011) - Not long ago, in a galaxy very close to home, Republicans voted to protect billions in tax breaks for oil companies and championed an "Oil Above All" agenda while cutting funding for renewable energy research and development. In this fight for America's clean energy future and an end to our dependence on foreign oil, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) continues to use … Continue Reading
05.18.11
Markey: International Energy Agency's Oil Price Warning Highlights Need for SPR Action
Congressman Renews Call for Obama Admin to Ready Oil Reserves WASHINGTON (May 19, 2011) -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) today called on nations, including the United States, to "consider using all tools that are at the disposal of IEA member countries," to avoid negative global economic impacts of rising prices. This action by the world's energy agency led Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to renew his call for the Obama administration to prepare to use the fully-stocked Strategic Petroleum Re… Continue Reading
05.12.11
Markey Asks NRC for Answers on Pilgrim Nuclear Event
Tuesday Incident Raises Further Questions on Environmental and Safety Analysis of U.S. Nuclear Plants, Markey Writes NRC WASHINGTON (May 13, 2011) - On Tuesday this week, the Pilgrim nuclear power plant located 38 miles from Boston, Mass. experienced an apparent accidental incident while trying to restart the nuclear reactor core. A team of investigators will be sent to the plant to review the event on May 16. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an… Continue Reading
05.11.11
Markey, Holt: House Republicans' Oil Company Giveaways Won't Reduce Prices at the Pump
Republicans Open Up East and West Coasts to Drilling, But Won't Keep Oil in America, or Push Oil Companies to Drill Now WASHINGTON (May 12, 2011) - House Republicans finished off the last of their three "Oil Above All" giveaways to oil companies today by taking the first step towards opening up the East and West Coasts to drilling without enacting new safety reforms, without ensuring that any oil gained would stay in America, and without forcing oil companies to drill for the 11 billion barrels… Continue Reading
05.04.11
Markey, Holt: Republican "Oil Above All" Plan Won't Help Consumers at Pump, Decreases Safety
WASHINGTON (May 5, 2011) - Republicans passed the first part of their "Oil Above All" energy plan today that will make oil drilling less safe, while protecting billions in tax breaks for the largest oil companies. The bill passed today would use shoddy, pre-BP-spill environmental review to accelerate drilling lease sales already scheduled by the Obama administration, and would open up new areas off Virginia's beaches to new drilling. During the debate, House Republicans unanimously rejected the… Continue Reading
05.02.11
Markey on BP Alaska Pipeline Fine: Harbinger for Gulf Spill Fines?
EPA Issues Largest Per Barrel Fine to Date for Oil Spill; BP Still Pushing for Lower Fines in Gulf WASHINGTON (May 3, 2011) - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $25 million fine for BP's Alaskan pipeline spill of 5,000 barrels of oil in 2006. EPA says that the fine is the largest per barrel penalty to date for an oil spill. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) encouraged the EPA to insist on a comparable level of financial penalties for BP and the other companies involved in… Continue Reading