House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s most recent proposal to divide the Minerals Management Service (MMS) into three separate agencies:

“I’m ready to work with the Administration to fully investigate the Gulf spill and to make the changes necessary to ensure safe, responsible drilling.  However, last week the Secretary said MMS would be divided into two parts, this week he divides it into three, and both times he stresses that the Administration wishes to work with Congress while acting unilaterally.  There’s bipartisan consensus that fundamental changes need to be made to MMS to ensure American-made energy production is the safest in the world, though it’s important to learn from this spill so that informed decisions are made.  We need to get it right to protect workers, the environment, and the vital economic and national security that domestic energy production provides.

“The top priority right now remains stopping the leak, cleaning up the oil and helping communities along the Gulf.  I’m confident that this proposal from the Administration will be thoroughly examined during the numerous hearings the Committee will be holding on this incident over the next several weeks.”

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