I can't believe that anyone can drill for oil without proper safeguards and contingency plans

[Poiuyt]

for if and when something goes wrong. We've all heard about the $500K acoustic switch that would have prevented the disaster that's currently occurring in the Gulf ($500K is a mere pittance considering the cost of building one of those drilling platforms and would almost be negligible compared to the cost of the cleanup). I'm assuming that was Dick Cheney who said they wouldn't need those switches. I just find it unbelievable that the government didn't required vetted contingency plans in the event of a malfunction. I understand that mistakes do happen; we are all human. But for no one to know what to do when an emergency does occur is unconscionable.

[havocmom]

1. hard to believe after all the screw ups, they can keep outside scientists from assessing situation

You make that big of a mess, kill a bunch of your workers, you by god should be brought to heel and have the operation taken over by people who mean to get it stopped NOW.

[postulater]

2. Imagine having heart surgery

and there is no emergency equipment available.

When a catastrophe is even remotely, you have a plan for the worst case scenario.

These guys are getting away with worse than murder.

[jp11]

3. Huh?

I'm pretty sure I read the acoustic switch was just an option that might have triggered the blowout preventer IF it had been working and wasn't a super device designed to stop a leaking well in of itself.

[lpbk2713]

4. They're just like rethuglicans.

They'll do whatever they please until they get caught.

Then when they get caught they point fingers in all directions.

[Scuba]

15. They are the rethuglicans.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

5. Believe it ...

That's "Big Oil's: bottom line paradigm

[Bryn]

6. They probably will get away and

keep all money for themselves even though they DO NOT own the Gulf of Mexico, the oil under seabed. It belongs to us all. We need a strong Voice to stop off-shore drillings.

[Lagomorph]

7. What about....

...the Cubans, Chinese, Venezuelans, Mexicans and Russians who are all drilling merrily away in the Gulf? A nearly identical disaster occurred in 1979, off the coast of Mexico. It took them nine months to put a lid on it, while 10K-30K barrels a day leaked out.

[Bryn]

8. Wow! I didn't know that.

Isn't that location where oil is leaking in American water? Looks like I have a lot to learn.

[Incitatus]

9. Yes, that was the Ixtoc .However, it was shallow enough that divers could work on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtoc_I

[Lagomorph]

18. And it only took them nine months.

I've been posting that link since the disaster. At my age this is all Deja' Vu to me. Especially when they mentioned the BOP was unable to shear the drill collars, just like Ixtoc.

If BP gets a lid on it in in less than 2 months, we've come a long way.

Reid's comment about "Greed" causing the disaster is also Deja' Vu, except many of the people who said so in 1979 are now working in the government. Some are in elected office, lol. They went into government in the 70's & 80's to set the country straight...sigh...

[MiniMe]

10. That is why the oil rig was under a Marshall Islands flag

So the Coast Guard wouldn't be the ones inspecting them.

[Radical Activist]

11. That's what happens when you put an oil company CEO in the White House.

[Raine]

12. It's mind boggling ...

if an individual ran their life that way where they take a chance and don't have a back-up emergency plan ... they're considered an IDIOT. When an indivual does that they have to pay and suffer the consequences.

[Golden Raisin]

13. What? You want MORE big

government interference? This is the U.S.A. Corporations should be totally free to do whatever they want with absolutely no supervision, safety regulations, liability or consequences. Go dip that Republican/Neocon teabag in your oil-stained water. :sarcasm:

[uponit7771]

14. RIGHT!!! The frequency of accidents while drilling seems to be high

[rucky]

16. That's what liability insurance is for, silly!

[Kablooie]

17. The switch would not have helped in this instance. It's not the issue.

The acoustic switch is designed as a backup trigger for the BOP. It is for when the physical switches could not be used, from in a lifeboat for example.

In this case the regular BOP switches were able to be used, it was the BOP that didn't work. The backup switch wouldn't have helped if the BOP didn't work in the first place.

[flvegan]

19. Why? Who specifically is going to stop them?