President Barack Obama expressed cautious optimism about the capping of the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday. While Obama said at a press conference Friday morning it was “good news” that the cap is currently containing the oil that had been spilling non-stop for 85 days, he hastened to add that that we should not get ahead of ourselves in thinking that the problem is solved.
“The new cap is containing the oil right now, but scientists are doing a number of tests. What they want to make sure of is that by putting this cap on, the oil isn’t seeping out elsewhere in ways that could be even more catastrophic,” said the president, in a televised press conference. He added that the data still needs to be collected and interpreted by the scientists before more is known.
“Even if it turns out that we can’t maintain this cap and completely shut off the flow of oil, what the new cap allows us to do is essentially attach many more containment mechanisms so that we’re able to take more oil up to the surface, put it on ships—it won’t be spilling into the Gulf,” he said.
Obama also reported that the relief well is proceeding well, and that it’s the relief well, not the cap, that will ultimately solve the problem.
In the meantime, he stressed, there is still a big job ahead regarding cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico itself and along the shorelines. He also mentioned having to sort out the “whole set of issues surrounding making sure people are compensated properly, that the $20 billion fund is set up and is acting expeditiously.” He emphasized compensation for affected businesses in particular.
Obama also made it clear that BP will have to pay for the damage it caused, which will “involve not only paying for the environmental disaster and cleanup, but also compensating people who’ve been affected.”
“We are making steady progress and I think the American people should take some heart in the fact that we’re making progress on this one,” said Obama.
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