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For Immediate Release
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Jenny Powers, 212-727-4566

BP Uses Gulf Drilling Permits as Bargaining Chip

According to the New York Times, BP is warning Congress that if
lawmakers pass tougher regulations on offshore drilling in the Gulf, BP
may not provide promised funding for clean-up.

Below is a statement from David Pettit, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council:

"Apparently, BP's efforts to 'make it right' extend no further than their bottom line.

NEW YORK

According to the New York Times, BP is warning Congress that if
lawmakers pass tougher regulations on offshore drilling in the Gulf, BP
may not provide promised funding for clean-up.

Below is a statement from David Pettit, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council:

"Apparently, BP's efforts to 'make it right' extend no further than their bottom line.

"Petro-money may talk in Congress, but extortion is illegal
in the U.S. All lawmakers need to stiffen their spines. BP's latest
outrage cannot stand."

NRDC works to safeguard the earth--its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. We combine the power of more than three million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild.

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