BP Protecting BP- PREVENTS Fisherman From Wearing Respirators-DUE TO LIABILITY ISSUES!!!

[kpete]

May 27, 2010
Coast Guard Grounds Ships Involved in Spill Cleanup After 7 Fall Ill; BP Reportedly Preventing Fishermen from Wearing Respirators

................

AMY GOODMAN: What about respirators? Are people wearing respirators?

CLINT GUIDRY: No, ma’am. Having had prior experience, I know these people. They’re friends. They’re family. I bought respirators, and I brought them down to these people. And when they tried to wear them, the BP representatives on site told them that it wasn’t a dangerous situation, and they didn’t need to wear them, and if they did, they would be taken off the job.

AMY GOODMAN: If they wore respirators, they’d be taken off the job?

CLINT GUIDRY: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Why?

CLINT GUIDRY: Because BP lies, and BP protects BP. And that is the biggest problem we have in the south of Louisiana right now, is BP, with its big oil big money, is buying up all the cover—and when I say "cover" I mean camouflage—that they can to try to make a little of the situation, not only environmentally, but health-wise. This is ridiculous.

AMY GOODMAN: But how does wearing respirators threaten BP? How do the workers, the cleanup crews, wearing respirators, how does that threaten BP?

CLINT GUIDRY: If you would do your research, the same situation occurred with Exxon Valdez over twenty years ago. It is a question of liability. The minute BP declares that there is a respiratory danger on the situation is the day that they let the door open for liability suits down the line. If they could have gotten away with covering this up, like they did in Alaska Valdez situation, like Exxon, they would not have to pay a penny for any kind of health-related claims.

more:
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/5/27/coast_guard_grounds_ships_involved_in

[Canuckistanian]

1. Where the hell are the EPA and OSHA?

THEY should have inspectors on the scene DEMANDING that BP provide proper respiratory protection gear.

[tom_paine]

2. Privatized.

And that is not much of an exaggeration.

[dchill]

15. No, it's not.

Not much at all. Jesus, I hate that word.

[Canuckistanian]

20. I believe you

Once mighty and feared regulatory agencies have turned into revolving doors for lobbyists and corporate apologists.

[Skidmore]

3. Contact the WH directly.

Call it to their attention. Contact reps and senators and contact KO & Rachel.

[meow mix]

4. k&r

[Brickbat]

5. It's becoming painfully obvious that we cannot hope OSHA, the EPA, the Coast Guard or anyone else

will make this right without a loud, sustained outcry. This is exactly the kind of crap the steel companies and copper mines and garment factories pulled a hundred years ago. People put their lives on the the line, and some died, to make change. Unfortunately, I'm not sure people today are ready to do that yet -- but maybe this will move us closer.

[Skidmore]

6. These agencies have been gutted and staffed with * cronies.

How many of the appointments being held up in the Senate do you suppose are related to these agencies? Has anyone checked this?

[Brickbat]

7. Dunno.

But until people start standing up, nothing's going to change.

[irislake]

19. Since when do Americans stand up?

You ain't France.

[Brickbat]

25. Yes, yes -- all the forward progress we've made has come from people saying "pretty please" while

licking boots.

[arikara]

27. Unfortunately we Canadians have no right to point fingers

we're no bloody different. There are several large spills happening in Canada right now, CBC touched on them briefly today but there is no outcry. They want to put a pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat and run tankers full of oil down the west coast. One of the companies is preparing to drill a well offshore Newfoundland even deeper than the Gulf one... and there is the ongoing desecration that is the tar sands.

[harkadog]

26. The heads of EPA and OSHA are Obama appointees.

Lisa Jackson of the EPA and Jordan Barah of OSHA were confirmed by the Senate in early 2009.

[William Z. Foster]

29. not so simple as that

We have now seen a Democratic administration populate the government with industry insiders. The problem transcends partisanship.

[kpete]

8. you nailed it, Brickbat

scary times, we must EVOLVE!
peace, kp

[Brickbat]

9. Right on, right on.

These are scary times, and it's scary to stand up and make one's self vulnerable to try to change something. We have to decide which is scarier.

[blindpig]

12. Gotta understand the power relationship...

This is capitalism, capitalists rule.

It is time for us to remember our past and to emulate those heroes of labor and the working class who fought capitalism, put their lives on the line if necessary to achieve justice, and the way it's looking today, survival too.

[Brickbat]

13. That's what I'm talking about.

I enjoy union benefits because someone paid for them in blood. The time is coming around again.

[chill_wind]

10. It's not an environmental disaster.

USCG Stanton has quite helpfully said so.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8436664&mesg_id=8436664

[kpete]

11. Home-Planet disaster

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. Money Trumps Health - It's the corporate mandate

Get f'n used to it.

Angry enough yet? Or, would you like another dose?

[Prometheus Bound]

16. Wow. A reminder that 'Saving money' trumps 'Doing what's right' in the boardroom.

[chill_wind]

17. Kicking

:kick:

[Bluebear]

21. again

[Uncle Joe]

18. That is some cold blooded shit.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[chill_wind]

22. Let them work! Get to work! How dare they talk to those

SNOOPING NEWS TYPES stenographers, sniffin and sniffen around, just looking to make BPUSCG look bad about getting sick or anything else.

Who cares if they're gagged. Let em work and STFU! Just put them to work!

:sarcasm:

[laughingliberal]

23. Must I remind everyone this company killed 11 people & ruined the Gulf over a $500,000 widget?

And would we be gullible enough to think they are not cutting every corner they can and covering everything in sight to limit their costs?

[BlueIris]

24. Fat pigs.

I will enjoy seeing BP bankrupted.

[Kablooie]

28. But wouldn't they be liable if someone died from respitory illness because of no mask?

[William Z. Foster]

30. right

Giving out masks is evidence that they KNEW there was a danger. Not giving out masks, they can later claim "we didn't know there was any danger." Or they can fight with an army of attorneys for years - "there is no evidence that this spill caused these problems for people. Why, there was not even any need for masks at the sites!"

[defendandprotect]

31. k

[KurtNYC]

32. The weekend after 9/11/01 Giuliani re-opened lower Manhattan

without any significant reduction in the hazards there. The entire area was covered in a blanket grey dust which contained powderized glass, concrete, asbestos, human bone, etc. Tourists were walking around scooping up what looked like ashes. A Burger King restaurant opened for business and was serving food with these ashes just blowing around and in the food. It was completely insane.

It is all for show at the expense of peoples' health.