Dear [Constituent],

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding British Petroleum's oil spill and their efforts to stop the oil from spreading throughout the Gulf of Mexico. I'm honored to represent you.  Your opinion is very important to me and my priority is to provide Iowa's Second District with the best representation possible.

I am deeply troubled by the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill that began with a rig explosion and tragic loss of eleven lives and has since become an environmental and economic catastrophe threatening sensitive marine ecosystems, public health and the local economies of Gulf Coast region.  My heart goes out to the families and businesses in the coastal communities in the Gulf – including the fishing, seafood, and tourism industries, who are bracing for the worst.

Since the explosion, efforts have been made to improve the response to the disaster and streamline cooperation between BP, localities directly affected by the spill, and elected officials in Gulf Coast states.  In addition, the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force have been working to contain the environmental damage since the explosion and close the leaking oil well; however, more must be done.

BP's oil spill has become the largest oil disaster in America's history and I believe it is imperative that Congress hold all relevant actors fully accountable, including BP, Transocean, Halliburton and the federal agencies with oil industry oversight.  BP has stated that they plan to pay all claims, and recently created a $20 billion independently-run account managed by Kenneth Feinberg who oversaw a similar fund for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.  The account which I urged to be created is meant to ensure that all employees, families, and businesses of the Gulf region receive compensation for their losses due to BP's oil spill and that no taxpayer dollars are spent.

As the operator of the oil rig, BP is liable for the costs associated with the oil spill under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.  The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 created the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund which is paid for by oil companies with an 8-cent fee paid on each barrel of oil imported.  The legislation also set a cap of $75 million on a company's liability for any cleanup, and limits the Coast Guard's ability to draw up to $100 million from the trust fund for any oil spill.

Most recently, I helped pass S. 3473, which permits the Coast Guard to receive advances from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund as they were nearing the $100 million cap under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.  Also, I recently helped pass the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, H.R. 4213, which would increase taxpayer protections by raising the fee oil companies pay per barrel and increase the current $1 billion cap on individual claims against the fund to $5 billion, and increase the $500 million cap on natural resource damage assessments to $2.5 billion.

Further, my colleagues and I must conduct a full inquiry of this accident, and seek transparency and answers from BP, Transocean and Halliburton.  To do so, we are being briefed by all relevant government agencies and have begun hearings specifically focused on determining the cause of the accident as well as BP's plan to stop the leaks and ensure clean-up efforts are carried out to protect the families, economies, environment and wildlife in coastal communities.  Recently, in a House Education and Labor Committee hearing, I further investigated oil industry practices regarding worker health, safety standards, and whistleblower protections.   In addition, Congress is examining the technology that allows drilling in difficult offshore conditions, and reforms to governmental agencies with oversight of the oil industry to ensure they are performing the stringent oversight they have been charged with.

As BP and the federal government continue to address the current spill, my colleagues and I must work in a bipartisan manner to do all that we can to ensure that a similar situation does not occur in the future.  Further, you may also be interested to know the U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing a criminal investigation of events surrounding this disaster.

At the center of our strategy should be an energy policy for the 21st Century that promotes cleaner, safer alternatives to fossil fuels that guard against threats to our wellbeing and natural resources, and improves our national security.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to develop an energy policy that protects the interests of our environment and fits the needs of our economy.  Please rest assured that I will continue to closely monitor the effort to control the spill, and will vigilantly work to ensure that we find answers to this oil spill and hold all actors who were responsible accountable for this disaster.

Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue.  My office is here to assist you with any and all concerns you have, so please do not hesitate to contact me whenever you feel that I can be of assistance.  I encourage you to visit my website at www.loebsack.house.gov and sign up for my e-newsletters to stay informed of the work I'm doing for you.  I am proud to serve the Second District, and I am committed to working hard for Iowans.

Sincerely,