By Stephen Bradberry, Bridge the Gulf

As the 111th Congress of the United States of America draws to a
close there is a unique opportunity for assisting the ongoing struggle
for full recovery of the Gulf Coast. The region, battered by the 2005
hurricane season, which was led by Hurricane Katrina, the largest and
most expensive disaster in the history of country and followed by
several smaller hurricanes, was struck by disaster once again this year
with the BP oil drilling disaster. The BP disaster set back all
recovery efforts by creating massive destruction of environment,
livelihoods, culture and health.

There is currently a bill before the Senate that is critical to
holding BP accountable for the disaster it created and moving recovery
of the Gulf Coast forward. Senate Bill 3663, the Clean Energy Jobs and
Oil Company Accountability Act, also known as the Oil Spill Response
Bill will:
1) Hold BP and other oil companies fully accountable for its oil disaster and do the same for future spills.Following
the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, we saw conservative politicians
run to protect BP by calling for Congress to cap the company's
liabilities. This piece of legislation would put an end to future
attempts to limit the liability of oil companies whose neglectful acts
harm our environment and endanger our livelihoods. Recognizing that the
possibility of future oil disasters is very real, S3663 does not limit
its call for full accountability to the current situation but sets its
sights on future liability concerns.
2) Adopt reforms to increase offshore oil production safeguards.The
BP oil drilling disaster occurred in large part due to lax oversight,
as well as numerous and considerable waivers given to the company in
order for it to begin drilling.  This cannot be allowed to continue and
S3663 sets in place the necessary reforms to protect the environment and
coastal communities.
3) Invest in residential energy efficiency retrofits to save homeowners money and create jobs.The
United States is long overdue for a serious consideration of our
addiction to oil and the dependence it creates on other countries for
our petroleum-based lifestyles. S3663 recognizes that there are
immediate changes that can be made to homes in the region that will not
only decrease our individual dependence and create jobs, but will assist
the region in setting the example for the future, as the entire country
will have to make changes to alter our current state of dependence
nationally.
4) Reduce oil use by investing in natural gas vehicles and electric cars.As
the United States looks to diversify its sources for energy, it is
important for the economic survival of the Gulf South that we be at the
forefront of new technologies such as natural gas and electric
vehicles. The arguments is not one of oil or no oil, but of how does
the Gulf South intelligently move forward towards a new energy economy
while building on its historical foundation as an energy provider for
the country.
The fight for Gulf Coast recovery has been difficult and with the
incoming 112th Congress promises to be more difficult in the foreseeable
future, unless we act now and urge our Senators to act in the best
interest of the Gulf Coast and the United States.(To sign the Alliance Institute's petition calling on the Senate to pass S3663, click here.)
Stephen Bradberry is executive director of the Alliance Institute and advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.