Beijing, China – Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the BP oil spill, which began in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. Reid is in China this week, leading an historic delegation of 10 U.S. Senators to clean-energy sites across the country and to discussing other pressing matters with Chinese government and business leaders.

“The damage of BP’s devastating oil spill will be felt for years to come. For the families of the 11 workers killed in the explosion, no policy change or business decision can replace lost loved ones.

“Some of the other scars of that spill will be visible — in the water and wildlife and throughout the environment. But we also will endure economic pain — in the efforts of small businesses and communities to rebuild.

“These environmental and economic impacts remind us of one of the most important lessons from this tragedy: the United States must reduce our dependence on oil.

“We must invest more quickly and more significantly in job-creating American clean energy projects that will strengthen our economy, environment and national security, as well as setting long-term policies to promote clean alternatives to oil.  At this critical time in the recover of our economy, we cannot afford to keep giving huge tax breaks to big oil companies that even some of their executives have admitted they don’t need.

“During our Congressional delegation’s week-long trip to China, I am looking forward to learning more about how the Chinese are successfully investing in renewable energy, to see what we can do most effectively in the United States to encourage rapid investment in this important sector of our economy. Our nation has vast renewable energy resources, especially in states like Nevada, that can solve our environmental, economic and national security problems but only if we don’t make the mistakes of the past and choose instead to move forward to a clean energy future.”