Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today chaired a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to determine what steps need to be taken to prevent a repeat of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Today's event was the first Congressional hearing on the BP disaster, which caused the death of 11 men, and which continues to cause serious environmental damage in the region.

"We should begin by remembering the 11 people who lost their lives in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, and expressing deep sympathy to their families," Bingaman said in his opening remarks.  "I would also like to express our concern for all in the Gulf region whose jobs and way of life are threatened by effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  We owe it to them to see that disasters like this never happen again."

Bingaman said it was important to determine as quickly as possible what technological improvements need to be required of companies that receive drilling permits through the U.S. Minerals Management Service.  Though Bingaman said it is likely technological issues are only one part of the problem.

"I don't believe it is enough to label this catastrophic failure as an unpredictable and unforeseeable occurrence.  I don't believe it is adequate to simply chalk what happened up to a view that accidents just happen.  If this is like other catastrophic failures of technological systems in modern history – whether it was the sinking of the Titanic, Three Mile Island, or the loss of the Challenger – we will likely discover that there was a cascade of failures: technical, human and regulatory," Bingaman said.

Witnesses at the hearing included Dr. F.E. Beck, associate professor, Texas A&M University; Elmer Danenberger former chief Offshore Regulatory Program at MMS; Lamar McKay, president and chairman of BP America; Steven Newman, president and CEO of Transocean Limited (owner of the drilling rig involved in the spill); and Tim Probert, chief health, safety and environmental officer of Halliburton (which was responsible for the cementing process related to capping the well).

"Our goal is to create a thorough factual record and an informed discussion of the very important questions presented by this disaster.  The questions raised here – both technological and regulatory – are of the utmost seriousness.  We have an obligation to determine quickly and to the best of our ability the appropriate next steps," Bingaman said.  "As those steps become clear, I intend to work with the members of this Committee on a bipartisan basis to advance the necessary and appropriate legislation through the Senate."

This was the first in a series of hearings Bingaman will chair about this disaster.  Next week, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will testify before the panel. 

Watch the video online or read Bingaman's full statement.