From July 30 to August 2, the authors of this report visited the Gulf Coast to better understand the federal response to the oil spill. This trip revealed several lessons that, if learned, would dramatically improve the federal government’s ability to respond to future Spills of National Significance. Politics and a Proposal for a Unified Response …

The people of Louisiana are speaking loudly and clearly as to what they want in response to the oil spill. Louisianans are the ones bearing the brunt of the environmental and economic damage from Deepwater Horizon, yet they overwhelmingly support continued offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.[1] Even Louisiana fishermen and shrimpers harmed by the spill…

America’s current system for responding to oil spills was largely shaped by the reaction to the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill off Alaska. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 set up new procedures for offshore cleanups, one significant change being that the federal government, led by the U.S. Coast Guard, was put in charge of such activities. The Deepwater Horizon spill…

BP has correctly received most of the blame for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As the contractor of the rig, there is little question that BP is responsible for the accident. However, reports of federal regulatory exemptions and passed safety inspections should raise questions about the federal government’s responsibility and the role of regulation. What…

America’s most serious offshore oil spill in 20 years is currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, and massive cleanup efforts are underway to cap the leak and contain the oil. This comes at a time when Washington had been considering expanding domestic oil production, including the Gulf and other offshore areas. For the most part, President Obama’s initial…