The House of Representatives approved legislation on Tuesday that was introduced by U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) to ensure that American taxpayers won’t pay cleanup costs of foreign oil spills.
The Foreign Spill Protection Act, H.R. 1684, introduced by Curbelo and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL) would prevent U.S. taxpayers from paying cleanup costs for off shore oil spills that aren’t covered by the Oil Liability Trust Fund, including those that foreign entities are responsible for.
“I thank the House of Representatives for passing this critical legislation for Florida and coastal communities all across the country,” Curbelo said. “This is a victory not only for our environment but also for American taxpayers and may lead our foreign neighbors to improve their safety and oversight standards. I also want to thank Mr. Murphy for partnering with me on this bi-partisan legislation. Working together we can improve the quality of life in our communities and build a stronger nation.”
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 currently only applies to oil spills that occur in U.S. waters. If an oil spill occurs in foreign waters and reaches U.S. shores, the U.S. attorney general is able to seek up to $1 billion in compensation from foreign entities for cleanup costs, but taxpayers or individual states would be responsible for anything beyond that.
“As a native Floridian, protecting our environment remains one of my top priorities,” Murphy said. “When our economy so greatly relies on the health of our waters, we must do everything we can to protect our coastline from devastating oil spills. I was proud to work with Congressman Curbelo on this bipartisan bill to protect Florida communities from having to pay for costly clean-up efforts on top of the environmental and economic impacts. I am glad to see the House come together to pass this common-sense bill that says if you’re responsible for a spill, you are also responsible for cleaning it up.”