Let's learn from oil disaster

The full impact from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has yet to be realized, but even as it all unfolds, the U.S. should not put its head in the sand and ban offshore drilling and exploration.

If anything, the country should be determined to learn from the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform and take all measures possible to ensure that it never happens again. And simultaneously, the U.S. should continue to pursue development of all efficient energy sources to reduce future dependence on oil, particularly imported oil.

An estimated 200,000 gallons of oil have been spewing into the ocean every day since the rig blew on April 20. Gulf states are waiting for slicks to arrive on their shores.

The spill has already had severe economic impacts on those states, and the problem will only worsen. At least 65 class-action lawsuits have already been filed, claiming economic damages.

It is the nation’s worst oil spill since the Exxon Valdez tanker disaster off Alaskan shores in 1989. But it’s important to note that it is the first blowout on an offshore drilling platform since 1969, when a Union platform spilled up to 100,000 gallons in 10 days.

That’s right, there has been 40 years of remarkable success, and with that kind of record, confidence in offshore drilling should not be lost. Rather, the development of even better technology and safeguards should be expected, instead of overheated political fear and resistance to future drilling and exploration.

Gulf oil currently accounts for about a third of U.S. oil production. A good share of imported oil arrives by tanker, with a much greater risk for spills than the risks posed by drilling platforms. A greater reliance on transported oil in the future is not the way to go, and neither is permanent resistance to offshore drilling as a major component of U.S. oil production.