Secretary Salazar's and Director Bromwich's Statements on NAE-NRC's Interim Report on the Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Washington, DC - On May 11, 2010 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar asked the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct an independent and science-based investigation of the root causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Today, the NAE-NRC review committee released its interim report.

“I appreciate the rigorous work the experts on the NAE and NRC team have undertaken to understand the root causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “Their independent, science-based analysis of what went wrong in the lead up to the blowout will help guide our continuing efforts to raise the bar for safety and oversight of offshore oil and gas operations, and will be of assistance to other ongoing investigations. I look forward to receiving the team's final report and to the additional insight and recommendations they will be providing us over the coming months.”

“The interim report by the NAE and NRC team raises important questions they will be exploring further in their ongoing review” said Bureau of Ocean Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich. “Their work will help guide our continuing efforts to strengthen standards and oversight and underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to build a strong and independent agency with the resources, training, and expertise to provide aggressive oversight of offshore oil and gas operations. I appreciate the time and expertise the NAE and NRC team are providing as we work towards ensuring that offshore energy production is conducted in a manner that protects human life and the environment.”

The NAE and NRC Committee reported that it expects to complete its final report by June, 2011.

# # #