Senate Democrats call for more inspections of deepwater oil rigs; say taxpayers should not pay

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are calling for the Obama administration to improve inspections of deepwater oil rigs such as the one that exploded last month in the Gulf of Mexico.

The blast killed 11 people and spilled millions of gallons of oil.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats urged immediate and enhanced inspections of all offshore drilling rigs and platforms that could pose a significant environmental threat.

The lawmakers said the oil companies should pay for the emergency inspections, not taxpayers.