Michael Bromwich, the nation’s head oil and gas drilling regulator, lashed out at the oil industry Tuesday for spreading what he calls politically motivated lies and distortions about the federal government’s speed in approving new offshore drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico.
With all eyes fixated on the oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, BP is stealthily moving toward what could easily be this country’s (and the world’s) next environmental catastrophe: Deep-sea drilling in remote reaches of the Arctic. But will the Minerals Management Service (MMS) stop it? According to a report that appeared in Rolling Stones magazine, no.
Federal regulations require oil companies to prepare and submit detailed spill-response plans before they can begin drilling offshore in American waters — and rightfully so. That body of water we call the Gulf of Mexico is a rich and diverse natural resource that directly sustains a way of life for millions of residents, whether they’re employed by the multi-billion-dollar seafood and tourism industries or any business in between. Simply put, a threat to the Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystems is a threat to our economy and national security.
Defenders of Wildlife, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to the protecting animals and plants in their natural habitat, has partnered with the Southern Environmental Law Center to file a lawsuit against BPfor the “unauthorized take” of endangered species caused by BP’s expanding oil spill and its use of chemical oil dispersants in unprecedented quantities.
As frustration escalates over BP’s inability to cap and contain its massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, more and more people are directing their anger at the federal government for not doing more to curb the catastrophe and stem the economic impact the spill is having throughout the Gulf. Neither the U.S. nor BP has ever faced an environmental disaster of this magnitude, so nearly every response carries an element of the unknown with it. And along with the unknown comes an element of fear that the fix could do more damage than the oil itself.
A leading oilfield services provider says that BP hired it to test the cement linings on the Deepwater Horizon’s drill column, but quit the testing and sent the crew home before its work was completed. Eleven hours later, natural gas blasted up the well and set off a series of giant explosions that sank what was supposed to be one of the most technologically advanced offshore rigs in the Gulf.
Environmental Protection Agency officials are reviewing BP’s troubled record of drilling for oil on U.S. soil and federal waters to determine whether the company should be barred from receiving government contracts. Such a move, if it comes to pass, could cost the company billions of dollars in revenue.
Executives from BP, Transocean, Halliburton, and other corporations tied to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee today trying to explain why their “failproof” systems failed, creating an unprecedented threat to the wildlife, industries and communities along the Gulf Coast.
Hearings began today in Washington and Louisiana on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico created when the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded on April 20 and sank two days later. Executives representing BP, based in London with North American headquarters in Houston, will testify alongside partners Transocean Ltd., based in Geneva, Switzerland, and Halliburton Co. of Houston.
The Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service allowed the oil industry to write federal policy governing the implementation of safety systems and backups, according to a New York Times report.
