One Month Later: Five Things We Know About the BP Gulf Disaster

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/05/20-15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2010
2:32 PM


CONTACT: Public Citizen
Phone: [phone]
One Month Later: Five Things We Know About the BP Gulf Disaster
Statement by Tyson Slocum, Director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program


WASHINGTON - May 20 - A month has passed since the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and still, oil is gushing from a broken well at a rate that is still being debated but is likely far higher than BP, the company responsible for the disaster, originally estimated. Here's what we know so far:

1. We should have seen it coming. BP was under criminal probation at the time of the disaster for felony violation of U.S. environmental laws. The company has one of the worst track records of any oil company operating in America. It needs more than just a financial slap on the wrist, which is what it will get if the $75 million liability cap remains in place. Instead, BP should pay full damages to those who have lost their livelihoods in addition to playing for the cost of cleanup.

2. Mounting evidence shows that BP was negligent. Firsthand accounts describe BP managers proceeding with work to cap the well, even though they were informed that the integrity of the blowout preventer had been compromised. BP must be held accountable - and should be subject to permanent sanctions and criminal charges against executives.

3. BP is as transparent as oil about the disaster. BP has consistently misled the public about how much oil is gushing from the well, has forbidden scientists from more thoroughly analyzing the rate of the gusher and has blocked journalists from taking photos of oil-covered beaches. At the same time, BP is footing the bill for a $70 million television ad campaign to assure tourists that Gulf Coast beaches are safe.

4. The Minerals Management Service cannot be trusted to protect workers, the environment or taxpayers. We need a total overhaul of this dreadful agency - now.

5. We must ban all new leasing, permitting and drilling offshore until a full investigation is complete. It would be senseless to continue this practice for one more second until safety is analyzed and improvements are implemented.

BP must pay. We urge the public to pledge to boycott BP for at least three months by visiting www.BeyondBP.org.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. To the greatest with thee

[flamingdem]

2. BOYCOTT! Great idea. ARCO is a BP company, can anyone confirm? nt

[Karenina]

3. One cannot really boycott a BRAND of oil.

I'm tickled every time Rachel says, "OUR OIL" as THAT is a joke. If she doesn't yet GET that I trust she'll be open to education. NORWAY does "OUR OIL." The U.S. ABSOLUTELY not. The oil drilling rights are LEASED to whomever and the produce goes on to the WORLD MARKET. Royalties are another thread. See: MMS for that royalties thingy.

Would some of you yung'uns who get what I'm trying to explain please jump in here and 'splain the MARKET to your peers? You'd do Tante K.'s heart and BP (double entendre? :rofl: ) a world of good. I be still kicking but mighty TIRED.

Thanx in advance.

[1955doubledie]

4. K&R

:kick:

[Johonny]

5. I don't think it needs just an overhaul

It needs actual regulatory powers that include independent organizations that stand between industry and the government to stand as experts for the government so we don't just have to rely on industry acting as its own experts. Other agencies have such entities.

[KittyWampus]

6. The Minerals Management Service IS BEING OVERHAULED. And DU'ers trashed Obama for doing just that.

While the thread about it sank like a stone.

[WeDidIt]

7. What needs to be done is a federal oil spill task force formed

Not some committee, but a REAL task force that operates similar to fire departments but is part of the United States Coast Guard and is supplemented by the Department of the NAvy.

The purpose of this group is rapid ready response to any oil spill and oil well leaks like this.

Their job would consist of training an preparation for an oil spill or well blowout like this one.

You pay for it by putting it on the dime of the oil companies.

And think about it, a federal force that does nothing but this would develop levels of expertise the oil companies could never develop in centuries of dealing with these things.

[blindpig]

8. When is it 'negligence'....

and when is it sop to cut as many corners as possible in order to increase profitability?

That's capitalism for ya.

[CanonRay]

9. 6. The U.S. Coast Guard is a BP subsidiary

7. BP is so greedy, it's even making a profit on the chemical dispersants.