Washington, DC – Rep. Ben Ray Luján issued the following statement on the Gulf Coast oil spill and rig explosion.

“The events of the past week show very clearly the potential dangers of offshore drilling. One single oil spill can cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, destroying fisheries and beaches that sustain vital industries. At a time when so many families are hurting, we should proceed with extreme caution when considering drilling policies that have the potential to negatively impact vital industries and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Furthermore, the United States has a limited percentage of the world’s oil reserves, and simply opening up and expanding offshore drilling will leave us far short of our goals of energy independence, job creation, lower costs and national security.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have been affected by this accident and with the people and businesses of the gulf coast who could be hit by the spill as early as tonight.”