The proposal follows on the heels of the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster, which poured millions of barrels of oil into the US Gulf of Mexico and spurred multiple lawsuits seeking damages from well operator BP, rig owner Transocean and contractor Halliburton.
"Some of those parties are trying to evade responsibility by arguing that current law only allows BP to be held accountable for damages caused by the spill. This legislation will make clear that, going forward, liability extends to all responsible parties," Whitehouse said in a statement.
The bill would expand the definition of which companies are liable for damages under the Oil Pollution Act, which was passed shortly after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.
The Whitehouse proposal faces high hurdles this year, as Congress still has to approve a series of bills and measures pertaining to the fiscal year 2011 budget, which take top priority before lawmakers close the 111th session of Congress this year.
"While the legislative schedule for the rest of this year is uncertain, we'll certainly look for any and every opportunity to move this bill forward," said Seth Larson, spokesman for Whitehouse.
China Chemical Weekly: http://news.chemnet.com/en/detail-1411716.html
