House Democrats Warn BP Against Muzzling Scientists Hired as Consultants

House Democrats investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill warned BP Plc against suppressing scientific analysis by its consultants.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, and Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, raised concern that the company is imposing confidentiality agreements with scientists in a letter to BP America Chief Executive Officer Lamar McKay.

“Any effort to muzzle scientists or shield their findings under doctrines of legal privileges could seriously impede the recovery,” the lawmakers wrote today in their letter. “The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is not a private matter.”

The House committee is investigating the April 20 spill triggered by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP. The Democrats said blocking disclosure of information could impede investigators.

Waxman and Markey requested that BP executives brief them by Aug. 6 on their retention of “third-party consultants, academics and scientists” to assess the environmental and health impacts of the spill. They also sought copies of contracts with academic experts and consultants by Aug. 12.

The committee on May 28 sought documents from clean-up consultants working for BP and drilling rig operator Transocean Ltd. as part of the investigation.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jim Snyder in Washington at jsnyder24@bloomberg.net.

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