Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in anticipation of his appearance before the subcommittee next week.

Burgess detailed questions he plans to ask Secretary Salazar about his agency’s role and actions relating to the blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and the ongoing oil spill along the Gulf Coast.

“Given the integral role of the Department of Interior and its component agencies in the oversight and inspections of the Deepwater Horizon rig, drilling equipment, well construction, and well control operations, as well as the post-incident response, I believe your testimony can provide critical information that will assist the Subcommittee’s investigation going forward,” Burgess wrote.

In the letter, Burgess listed five areas of questioning he hoped Salazar would address during the June 29 hearing, including information on the Department of Interior’s (DOI) interactions with BP and Deepwater Horizon rig personnel during the week prior to the incident, including on the date of the explosion; the role DOI has played in responding to the disaster, including the initial response and the ongoing response efforts, assets and personnel deployed; and DOI requirements and regulations on oil spill risk models in response plans and well control techniques and equipment.

Burgess also requested that Salazar be prepared to answer questions regarding the moratorium on deepwater offshore drilling, including economic or employment analyses considered by DOI relating to the effects of the moratorium.

NOTE: Full letter can be found below and here.

June 24, 2010

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Salazar:

I look forward to your testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee on Energy and Environment on June 29, 2010, about your agency’s role and actions relating to the blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and the ongoing oil spill along the Gulf Coast. Given the integral role of the Department of Interior (the Department) and its component agencies in the oversight and inspections of the Deepwater Horizon rig, drilling equipment, well construction, and well control operations, as well as the post-incident response, I believe your testimony can provide critical information that will assist the Subcommittee’s investigation going forward.

I write respectfully to ask that you be prepared to respond next week in your testimony to questions developing out of our investigation and hearings. In particular, among the questions surrounding federal oversight of the rig prior to the explosion and the related response, I would like you to address the following:

1. What were the Department’s interactions with BP and/or the Deepwater Horizon rig personnel during the week prior to the incident? What communications occurred during that time period between Department and rig personnel, including on the date of the explosion?

2. What specific role has the Department played in responding to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, including the initial response and the ongoing response efforts? What assets and personnel have been deployed? What role has the Department played in Unified Command decision-making?

3. What role did Department requirements and regulations play in the development of oil spill risk models used by oil producers in their response plans filed with the Department? According to the June 24, 2010, Wall Street Journal article, BP Relied on Faulty U.S. Data (attached), oil companies were required to rely on what the Department understood were government computer models of questionable accuracy. Is this true? What is the Department doing to improve computer modeling?

4. Your May 27, 2010, report to the President entitled Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development of the Outer Continental Shelf lists 23 Department-sponsored studies over the past two decades which evaluated the use of well control techniques and equipment, including casing, cementing, mud, pressure control valves, and blow out preventers. Have the recommendations of all of these studies been implemented by the Department and used when evaluating drilling operations and well designs? Is the Department evaluating implementation of these safety recommendations during inspections?

5. On May 30, 2010, you ordered an extended moratorium on offshore drilling, based upon your May 27, 2010, report to President Obama referenced above. On June 22, 2010, a federal judge struck down this moratorium and granted a preliminary injunction. In partial response to this decision, you announced that you would issue an order in support of a new version of the moratorium. What is your assessment of the direct and indirect employment impacts in the Gulf of Mexico region and elsewhere in the United States that may result from the moratorium and related notice to lessees (NTL)? What does the Administration estimate will be the cumulative and long-term economic impacts of the moratorium and related NTL? What economic or employment analyses have been prepared or considered by the Department relating to the effects of the moratorium and related NTL? Could you make those available to the Committee?

In addition, as the Subcommittee reviews documents provided by the Department, I seek your assurance that the Department will make available to Majority and Minority Committee staff the relevant individuals or officials with knowledge of the application approvals, safety inspections, and related oversight of the Deepwater Horizon operations.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

cc: The Honorable Henry A. Waxman, Chairman
The Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member
The Honorable Bart Stupak, Chairman
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations


Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, and a member of the Health and Energy & Environment subcommittees. He is also a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. Prior to becoming a member of Congress in 2002, Congressman Burgess practiced medicine in North Texas for over 25 years.