HOUSTON (AP) _ Texas Gov. Rick Perry has announced the formation of a group to focus on developing technology and improve safety in energy exploration and production.
He says the move is part of an effort to help prevent future industry accidents, such as the one that led to the Gulf oil spill.
At a news conference Tuesday at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Perry said the Gulf Project will be composed of researchers, policy experts and state officials. They’ll work to develop better equipment for offshore drilling and improved training techniques for oil spill response teams.
Perry cautioned against stopping offshore oil drilling because of the spill. He calls the Obama administration’s effort to implement a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling inappropriate and unrealistic.