Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced her support Tuesday for legislation that will raise the liability cap for offshore oil facilities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The current cap is $75 million, and a bill in Congress would raise the liability cap for offshore oil well spills to $10 billion. Klobuchar's announcement came as corporate leaders from BP and others involved in the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Klobuchar, a member of the panel, called for more accountability from industry executives and increased safety. "The harm caused by this oil spill could be devastating, and those who are responsible should pay the price," Klobuchar said. "As we speak, thousands of barrels of oil continue to spill out into the ocean and wash up on the shores. Klobuchar visited the Gulf Coast last week as part of a bipartisan delegation to assess the oil spill and met with U.S. officials and local leaders about ongoing recovery efforts. Minnesota Democrat Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, also made the trip and said he plans to hold hearings on the spill as well. At the Senate hearing, Klobuchar questioned Lamar McKay, Chairman and President of BP America, and Steven New, President and CEO of Transocean Ltd., which operated the oil rig responsible for the oil leak. An explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20 caused an oil leak nearly a mile below sea level. The oil slick could become one of the nation's worst environmental disasters in decades, threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast – one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters, and other marine life.
