U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., has brought back his proposal to ensure that Americans aren’t left with the bill when foreign oil spills move into American waters.
With other nations expanding offshore drilling operations, Curbelo teamed up with then U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., bring out the “Foreign Spill Protection Act" back in 2015. While the bill passed the House in April without opposition, the measure went nowhere in the Senate. When they brought out the proposal, the congressmen noted that, back in 2012, a leading Mexican official said his nation would have problems dealing with offshore oil spills while the Bahamas are currently expanding their own drilling. Cuba is also looking at offshore operations.
Curbelo brought the bill back last week, this time with U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., acting as the chief co-sponsor. The legislation would change the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) passed in 1990 to ensure costs from foreign oil spills that impact American waters will be incurred by the responsible party. The bill would also ensure the responsible party for these type of spills would be held accountable by the Clean Water Act. As the law currently stands, responsible parties would only face up to $1 billion in damages for oil spills that start in other countries waters and, eventually, impact American waters.
“With the increasing probability of foreign nations drilling near our shores, American taxpayers across the country are at risk of footing the bill to bail out the mistakes of foreign oil companies,” Curbelo said when he brought the bill back. “This bill ensures that won’t happen and guarantees our coastal communities will have the resources they need for clean up and recovery if they are affected by a foreign spill.”
“In Florida and around America, we must protect our beautiful beaches and coastal areas both now and in the future,” Soto said. “This bill would hold foreign oil drilling companies fully responsible for spills nears our shores. I am honored to co-introduce this important, bipartisan legislation with Congressman Curbelo.”
Hoping to get the Senate version across the finish line are U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkoski, R-Ak., and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who unveiled the upper chamber’s version of the legislation last week.
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