Press Releases
Radioactive Natural Gas Fracking Could Create New Era of "Love Canals"
WASHINGTON (February 26, 2011) - Responding to an investigative article published today by The New York Times on the high incidence of radioactive materials and other contaminants in the wastes produced from natural gas extraction, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, immediately questioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its oversight of these extractive practices. The Times article shows that the radioactively contaminated wastewat… Continue Reading
02.24.11
Markey: Oil Companies' Bucks Insufficient for "Orphaned" Wells
WASHINGTON (February 25, 2011) - A report released today on "orphaned" and "idle" oil and gas wells raises serious questions as to whether the proper policies exist to protect the environment and American taxpayers from oil companies simply abandoning oil wells without proper cleanup. In response to the report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, sent an oversight letter to the Bureau of Land Manage… Continue Reading
02.23.11
House Dems to Obama: Consider Using Strategic Oil Reserve
WASHINGTON (February 24, 2011) - When the first Gulf War drove oil prices skyward in 1991, deploying oil from America's strategic reserve brought them back down by 33 percent. When President Clinton used the oil bank in 2000, prices dropped by 19 percent. And following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, releasing oil reduced prices by 9 percent. With turmoil spreading across the Middle East, light sweet crude oil spiking above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2008, and summer driving season fast … Continue Reading
02.22.11
New Boiler Pollution Standards Save Lives, Money
WASHINGTON (February 23, 2011) - The Environmental Protection Agency today released new common-sense, cost-effective and health-protecting rules to reduce the amount of pollution created when power plants, industrial facilities or other facilities burn coal or biomass in boilers. These new pollution standards will save businesses money over previous iterations and more than 5,000 lives a year from reduced mercury and other pollution. The new standards also stand in stark contrast to House Republ… Continue Reading
02.17.11
Republicans Side with Big Oil, Reject $53 Billion in Taxpayer Savings
WASHINGTON (February 18, 2011) - Just as they have done all week during the debate on the yearly government spending bill, Republicans in the House rejected eliminating egregious loopholes and tax breaks given to the oil companies, voting down an amendment that would have recovered up to $53 billion in taxpayer funds from oil companies. The amendment -- offered by Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), George Miller (D-Calif.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.) -- was voted down by a… Continue Reading
02.16.11
Markey Assails BP for Challenging Gulf Families' Settlements on Same Day as New Commission Report Details Company Mistakes
WASHINGTON (February 17, 2011) - On the same day that a new report from the commission studying BP's oil spill said that BP did not properly assess the risks of the site nor manage the drilling process effectively, the oil giant is attacking the compensation fund for Gulf of Mexico victims as being too generous. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) chastised BP for this position today, and called it emblematic of a larger discussion happening right now in Congress on the priorities of keeping tax bre… Continue Reading
02.15.11
Markey, Hinchey, Miller Call for End to Big Oil's Free Drilling
WASHINGTON (February 16, 2011) - Even as Republicans propose cutting services to seniors, children and the neediest American families in their new spending bill, they are leaving $53 billion in potential deficit-reducing funds on the table by protecting oil companies from paying their fair share to drill in the Gulf of Mexico. To fix this special interest loophole and recover billions of dollars from oil companies to reduce the deficit, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) … Continue Reading
02.13.11
President's Budget Ends Sweetheart Deals for Big Oil, But Still Cuts Key Programs for Nation's Poor
WASHINGTON, D.C.(February 14, 2011) - President Obama's budget released today ends billions of dollars in giveaways to the biggest oil companies and increases research into cancer and other diseases, but still makes cuts to key programs needed to help our nation's poorest like low-income fuel assistance, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said today. Rep. Markey has pushed for increased funding for the National Institute of Health and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and has introduc… Continue Reading
02.13.11
Markey Attacks Tea Party Republicans for "Scorched Earth" Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 12, 2011) - After going back to the drawing board several times in order to appease demands of its extremist Tea Party caucus, House Republicans have released their latest proposal for the so-called continuing resolution (CR) spending bill to fund the federal budget. The resulting bill consists of an extreme and arbitrary package of cuts that would slash federal support for public safety, health care and research, public broadcasting, food safety and inspection, and ot… Continue Reading
02.09.11
House Democrats Unveil $40 Billion In Cuts To Wasteful Big Oil Subsidies
Today, Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Ed Markey, John Conyers, Jim Moran, Lois Capps, Peter Welch and David Price and others introduced legislation to cut the budget by ending roughly $40 billion over five years in wasteful subsidies to the oil industry. The "Ending Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act" (H.R. 601) eliminates subsidies that have worsened the deficit, weakened our energy security, undermined our ability to drive investment in sources of renewable energy, and damaged the environment. "The oil indust… Continue Reading
02.07.11
Reps. Markey, DeLauro, Green Push for Heating Help During Harsh Winter
WASHINGTON - Wild weather and political unrest have driven the prices for oil and natural gas higher this winter, even as demand for heating assistance has remained elevated during America's economic recovery. On Wednesday, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Gene Green (D-Texas) will call for full funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help vulnerable Americans who cannot afford to heat their homes during these frigid winter months. … Continue Reading
02.06.11
Markey, Holt Praise Obama Administration Wind Energy Announcements
WASHINGTON (February 7, 2011) - Following announcements by the Obama administration's Interior and Energy agencies on promoting the future development of wind energy off America's shores, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), the Ranking Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, issued statements praising the admini… Continue Reading
02.02.11
Markey Report: Big Five Oil Companies Approach $1 Trillion in Profits for the Decade, Yet Still Rely on 100 Year-Old Subsidies to Sell $100 Oil
WASHINGTON (February 3, 2011) - Nearly $1 trillion - that's the total profit earned by the top five multi-national oil companies over the first decade of the new millennium. $36.5 billion - that's the total in tax subsidies the American public will provide to the oil industry over the next decade. $53 billion - that's the value that oil companies could receive from not paying royalties on some Gulf of Mexico production over the next 25 years. And 1916 - the oldest tax subsidy the oil companies s… Continue Reading
01.31.11
Markey to BP: Drop Challenge to Size of Spill, Or Drop Dividend Restart
WASHINGTON (February 1, 2011) - With BP's announcement today that they intend to restart dividend payments to shareholders, despite losing money in 2010 and tens of billions still outstanding from their company's spill, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called on the company to cease their challenge of the size of the spill or cease handing out dividends. BP has challenged the flow rate and total spill numbers reached by the U.S. government's scientific team, which will be critical in determining … Continue Reading
01.31.11
Markey Statement on Upton/Inhofe Dirty Air Bill
WASHINGTON (February 2, 2011) - Responding to reports that Republicans in the House and Senate intend to introduce draft legislation restricting the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit dangerous carbon pollution and promote clean energy solutions, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement: "The groundhog didn't see his shadow to… Continue Reading
01.25.11
House Democrats Introduce Oil Spill Reform Bill
Legislation Reflects Spill Commission Recommendations, House-passed Bill WASHINGTON (January 26, 2011) - House Democrats today introduced new, revamped legislation to reform and renew the practices and oversight of the offshore oil industry following the worst oil spill in U.S. history. The legislation reflects the recommendations of the independent oil spill commission tasked with investigating the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the practices of the oil industry. The bill, called the Impl… Continue Reading
01.24.11
Markey Announces Natural Resources Subcommittee Assignments
WASHINGTON (January 25, 2011) - Today the Democratic Caucus of the House Natural Resources Committee met to establish their recommendations for subcommittee leadership and membership for the 112th Congress. "We have a deep bench here on the Natural Resources Committee, and we will need the leadership and energy of every single member to promote sound policies to preserve and promote America's natural heritage and resources," said Rep. Edward J. Markey, the Ranking Democrat on the committ… Continue Reading
01.24.11
House Democrats to Introduce New Oil Spill Legislation
WASHINGTON - Coinciding with the presence of the Oil Spill Commission co-chairs on Capitol Hill, the top Democrats from several House committees tomorrow will introduce new legislation that will reform the safety and regulatory oversight of offshore oil drilling following the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The new legislation will combine elements of the bill passed by the House last summer along with recommendations derived from the findings of the Oil Spill Commission. WHAT: Unveiling of new oi… Continue Reading
01.20.11
Markey Leads 46 Democratic House Colleagues to Defend Obama Wilderness Policy
WASHINGTON (January 21, 2011) - With America's wilderness areas targeted by House Republicans eager to hand over America's last remaining public lands to corporate interests, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 46 of his Democratic colleagues have risen to defend the Obama administration's recent proposed "wild lands" policy. Rep. Markey, the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, along with dozens of colleagues, today sent a public letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar commending… Continue Reading
01.19.11
Markey Calls on Treasury Dept. to Review National Security Impacts of BP-Russia Deal
Washington D.C. (January 19, 2011) -- In response to the $16 billion share-swap announced last week between BP and state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft, today Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner requesting that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) begin an immediate review of BP-Rosneft transaction to determine whether it will threaten U.S. national security. The proposed deal would give Rosneft a 5 percent stake in … Continue Reading