A bill introduced by Democratic Congressman A. Donald McEachin, the Offshore Accountability Act, has been approved by a committee of the US House of Representatives. The act is designed to update reporting standards for the oil and gas industry.
“My legislation makes common-sense updates to existing reporting standards to ensure appropriate accountability and oversight of offshore drilling facilities,” McEachin said.
The act would require offshore drilling facilities to report critical safety system failures directly to the Secretary of the Interior, who would then publicly disclose the reports.
“As we have seen from prior tragedies, like the Santa Barbara and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, offshore drilling accidents can be dangerous, expensive and life-altering for coastal communities and critical ecosystems. All Americans, especially those in coastal communities, deserve transparency from industries operating in our oceans,” added McEachin.
The bill follows the news earlier this month of an oil spill off the coast of California caused by a ruptured pipeline.
