In a speech to the nation from the White House, US President Barak Obama announced the appointment of former Justice Department inspector general Michael Bromwich as his choice for the new head of the Minerals Management Service. Bromwich replaces Liz Birnbaum, who resigned in May in the fallout over the government's response to the spill. "His charge over the next few months is to build an organization that acts as the oil industry's watchdog – not its partner," Obama declared. "In the coming days and weeks, these efforts should capture up to 90% of the oil leaking out of the well. This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well later in the summer that is expected to stop the leak completely."
President Obama admitted the enormity of the problem caused by the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon and and the consequent oil spiil. "Because there has never been a leak of this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology," he said.
Obama placed the blame for the spill and its environmental damages clearly on BP. "We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever's necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy. Tomorrow, I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company's recklessness. And this fund will not be controlled by BP. In order to ensure that all legitimate claims are paid out in a fair and timely manner, the account must and will be administered by an independent, third party."
In his speech, Obama announced the deployment of 17,000 US National Guard troops to assist in all phases of the cleanup. "I have authorized the deployment of over 17,000 National Guard members along the coast. These servicemen and women are ready to help stop the oil from coming ashore, clean beaches, train response workers, or even help with processing claims – and I urge the governors in the affected states to activate these troops as soon as possible," Obama explained.
Obama reiterated his six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. " I have issued a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. I know this creates difficulty for the people who work on these rigs, but for the sake of their safety, and for the sake of the entire region, we need to know the facts before we allow deepwater drilling to continue. And while I urge the Commission to complete its work as quickly as possible, I expect them to do that work thoroughly and impartially."
Declaring fossil fuel as being a finite resource, Obama appeared intent on using the oil spill to press for renewable energy sources. "We consume more than 20% of the world's oil, but have less than 2% of the world's oil reserves. And that's part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean – because we're running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water," Obama said, "Last year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill – a bill that finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America's businesses. Now, there are costs associated with this transition. And some believe we can't afford those costs right now. I say we can't afford not to change how we produce and use energy – because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater."
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