Two women who lost their husbands in the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion told members of Congress on Monday to hold BP Plc accountable for the disaster but urged that a ban on drilling in offshore waters be lifted."I am asking you to please consider harsh punishments on companies who choose to ignore safety standards before other families are destroyed," said Courtney Kemp, who lost her husband, Wyatt, in the accident.Despite the personal cost, their testimony shows strong support for offshore drilling, which is a major economic driver in the Gulf Coast region, even in the face of the disaster.Kemp and others testified at a field hearing by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on oversight and investigations, which is probing the April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon that killed 11 workers and led to the worst oil spill in U.S. history.The hearing, aimed at measuring the fallout on the Gulf economy, also highlighted the inextricable link between the oil industry and the region. Both the young widows who testified asked lawmakers to lift the 6-month offshore drilling ban put in place by President Barack Obama."My husband took great pride in his job, loved his work and all his Deepwater Horizon family, but most important he knew offshore work provided the life he wanted for his son," said Natalie Roshto, whose husband Shane was killed in the explosion. Her husband's paycheck helped put her through college and was going to pay for her graduate studies, Roshto said.According to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, a drilling suspension could spur up to 6,000 job losses over the next few weeks and 10,000 state job losses within a few months.Both Kemp and Roshto worked for Swiss-based Transocean Ltd., which owned the Deepwater Horizon rig.U.S. lawmakers at the hearing said they would seek to make BP pay for damages as the British company has promised."We must make sure that BP must repay everything that they have caused in terms of damage," said Edward Markey, a congressman from Massachusetts. "BP must be held accountable."Markey also said he plans to introduce an "Oil S.O.S." bill next week aimed at making companies fund research on upgraded safety and clean-up tools.Clarence Duplessis, a 65-year-old commercial shrimper from Davant, Louisiana, told the hearing that is worried about not being able to pay his mortgage since oyster beds have been closed by the government. He so far has only received $5,000 in compensation from BP."It's a total mess," Duplessis said of BP's claims process, adding that his worst fear is that the company will simply "pack their bags" and leave after the furor over the oil spill dies down.(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)News posted by www.newsinfoline.com
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