Vitter Commemorates 6th Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Senate Floor

Source: YouTube

Source: YouTube

Below are excerpts from Vitter’s remarks:

“Today I rise to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that took the lives of 11 men and devastated many Gulf Coast communities. The men who lost their lives during this devastating incident will not be forgotten. Their names were:

Jason Anderson – 35, Midfield, Texas

Aaron Dale “Bubba” Burkeen – 37, Philadelphia, Mississippi

Donald Clark – 49, Newelton, Louisiana

Stephen Ray Curtis – 40, Georgetown, Louisiana

Gordon Jones – 28, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Roy Wyatt Kemp – 27, Jonesville, Louisiana

Karl Dale Kleppinger, Jr. – 38, Natchez, Mississippi

Keith Blair Manuel – 56, Gonzales, Louisiana

Dewey Revette – 48, State Line, Mississippi

Shane Roshto – 22, Liberty, Mississippi and

Adam Weise – 24, Yorktown, Texas

“In Louisiana, offshore oil and gas development is more than just our state’s largest economic drivers – it is a way of life, having supporting countless jobs and families across the region. That’s why our top priority must always be maintaining the highest level of safety standards, and in the last six years, we have been working to make sure this kind of human tragedy and subsequent economic losses never happen again. We must support policies that create a strong balance between having a strong regulatory scheme that promotes stringent safety standards while also allowing the energy industry to thrive. Fortunately, Louisiana’s resilience and recovery cannot be easily measured in terms of numbers and figures, but I can say with confidence that each and every Louisianian should be proud of how far we have come in recent years.

“In the six years since the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Louisiana has done what we do best – recover, rebuild, and progress. In order to build a brighter future for our families, businesses, and communities, we must also protect the symbiotic relationship between federal regulations and the oil and gas industry.”