Gov. Gregoire�s statement on national review of Deep Water Horizon oil spill

For Immediate Release: January 12, 2011

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the national review of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year:

�Yesterday, President Obama�s National Commission released its final report on the May 20, 2010, Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. That report and the lessons learned from last spring�s tragic incident once again highlight our nation�s vulnerability to major and catastrophic oil spills.

�I applaud the President and the commission for their hard work and excellent report. The commission�s recommendations will help our nation reduce the threats of a major spill to public health and safety, the environment and our economy.

�While we do not face the direct risks of deepwater drilling off our shores, and we won�t as long as I�m governor, more than 15 billion gallons of oil are shipped through our waters every year. The commission�s report underscores the importance of remaining prepared and vigilant.

�The report reminds us that we need to continue to maintain our state�s critical emergency response functions. To that end, I have asked the Department of Ecology and the Puget Sound Partnership to closely evaluate the commission�s report, and capture the lessons and recommendations that will help us maintain a strong and effective state prevention and response program. The economic, environmental and cultural costs of a major spill would simply be too much for us to bear and would severely hobble any economic recovery for our state.�