Ed Markey Demands BP Produce Oil Plume Research, Data

WASHINGTON — A congressman is questioning BP CEO Tony Hayward's claim that the oil company has not found evidence of underwater oil plumes. Scientists have reported plumes as long as 22 miles.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said BP in this instance means "Blind to Plumes." He sent a letter to Hayward Monday asking for documents to back up his claims.

Markey, chairman of a House Energy and Commerce Committee environmental panel, said it is vital that the government and researchers have unfettered access to all relevant data or analysis concerning underwater plumes. He also called on BP to offer "complete transparency" on its video feeds from the company's underwater operations, calling any delay or other obstacle unacceptable.

Comments

[postrealitysyndrome]

08:43 PM on 06/02/2010

It's a good start, now only if Obama could be pressed to make public the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report about the undersea plumes. Their official stand is that "all the accumulated evidence is just 'circumstantial.'" Though they already have lab results from a previously secret NOAA research mission analyzed, they won't release their data. Why the secrecy?

Then there are reports of BP not allowing access to reporters to film dead animals, like a dolphin filled with oil. It seems gruesome, but how else will people get a sense of the true carnage of this disaster? Again, why the secrecy? Why does BP have so much control of Obama, his federal agencies, and the press?

[varbajian]

10:55 PM on 06/01/2010

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/01/cheney-bp-flack/

"Under threat of receivership and criminal investigation for its destruction of the Gulf of Mexico, foreign oil giant BP has hired a former top aide for Vice President Dick Cheney to be their new spokeswoman. Anne Womack-Kolton has been hired to be “head of U.S. media relations.” A rising star in the Bush-Cheney White House since the 2000 campaign, Womack-Kolton served as Cheney’s press secretary during the 2004 election before running public affairs in the Bush Department of Energy:"

This is probably a good hire for BP: It was press aides to Cheney that made us think that there was WMD in Iraq; outted CIA operative Valerie Plame, and also pushed the idea of giving taxpayer money from the war to private contractors for Iraq.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/03/06/top_iraq_contractor_skirts_us_taxes_offshore/

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/02/25/cheneys_unprecedented_power/

http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2006/0209nj1.htm

http://www.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/waas.htm

[seattledemocrat]

06:37 PM on 06/01/2010

Bummer, this might delay BP CEO Tony Hayward's getting his life back.

[jqcitizen]

05:17 PM on 06/01/2010

Senator Markey and all 99 others, in the Senate, can demand all they want.
CEO's of corporations can appear before congress and lie, all they want. -So what?

Congress has no authority to arrest anyone.

When an employee dies on a job site, if it be in a mine, oil field or a small home construction job, a human being is held liable. The lack of bonding or insurance is no consolation to the families of the dead. Bankruptcy and/or jail time, for negligence of safety issues, is appropriate.

The large international corporations should be required to put into escrow, an amount equal to the risk of their venture, NOT to an insurance company, but to the government of the country they are operating in. -These outfits seem to have a lot of assets to put lawyers to work and pretend they are cleaning things up, after disaster strikes, but think saving a few million dollars by doing the job right to begin with is not profitable.

Anyone remember ENRON?

[Billy Jack]

04:39 PM on 06/01/2010

BP is correct, they have not found any evidence of oil plumes, because they haven't looked for any. I guess it will be hard for them to provide their non-existent data

[mixpiklix]

04:20 PM on 06/01/2010

We need to have our scientists get their own data after all BP doesn't have much credbility left

[carmachu2]

01:28 PM on 06/01/2010

Absolutely BP needs to release the data and research.

[dispatches]

12:32 PM on 06/01/2010

for a sideways look at the oil spill, visit www.dispatchesfromtheend.com
it's the news, but more fun to read.

[AncientPollyanna]

12:23 PM on 06/01/2010

Wow, seems to have been a big comment cleanse on this article. What gives?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/31/871751/-SeaScum-Uber-Barbie-with-Cheney-Ties-Now-Speaks-for-BP

[Herbert Gart]

11:59 AM on 06/01/2010

WHY HASN'T ANY OF THE MEDIA PICKED UP ON THIS BIG BIG NEWS STORY??????
Bob Dudley, BP executive on ABC'S This Week May 30:
"The relief well at the end of August is certainly the end point on this game."

Everyone is writing that we may have to wait until August for the relief well to be finished. That implies a few days or so after July. It's like $ .99 instead of $1.

The truth is that Bob Dudley, a BP executive said to Jake Tapper at the very beginning of his interview "The relief well at THE END OF AUGUST is certainly the end point on this game." THAT MEANS WE WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER, NOT AUGUST. 30 MORE DAYS OF OIL SPILL THAN THE MEDIA IS SUGGESTING. COME ON PEOPLE, REPORT THE BIG NEWS THAT 'THIS WEEK' GAINED AND NOBODY NOTICED !!

[jny429]

12:33 PM on 06/01/2010

End of August, if we are lucky... the relief well must intersect the existing well to do anything. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to hit that target miles below the sea floor? its a game of trial and error and likely the first few shots at least will fail. Each time they have to back-out, plug what was drilled, and take aim again. This process could take several weeks. I can't remember where I read it but you can probably pick up the info by googling...

[Herbert Gart]

02:15 PM on 06/01/2010

As I understand it, they have a second relief well being drilled.

[jny429]

11:43 AM on 06/01/2010

Ed Markey makes me proud to be from MA. Every time he makes the news lately I feel glimmer of hope that at least someone on the hill has some common sense..

[AncientPollyanna]

11:40 AM on 06/01/2010

I was just listening to the radio while moving my car and apparently BP has hired Dick Cheney's spokesperson. Can't confirm. But highly believable to me.

[AncientPollyanna]

12:24 PM on 06/01/2010

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/31/871751/-SeaScum-Uber-Barbie-with-Cheney-Ties-Now-Speaks-for-BP

[Kareem Harper]

11:36 AM on 06/01/2010

BP is clear with their MO: Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil..

[Bama Girl]

11:13 AM on 06/01/2010

Local news Story

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/oil-pics-off-gulf-shores/892145/May-31-2010_10-50-pm/

[Kareem Harper]

11:36 AM on 06/01/2010

Thanks for sharing this!

[timremple]

11:04 AM on 06/01/2010

Thank goodness somebody in Congress is at least trying to stand up to BP!

And blow a big whole in the cover-up of this horrible BP/Transocean/...-caused catastrophe!!

Time to stop sending letters asking, and start sending subpoenas!!!

[gerald4]

05:24 PM on 06/01/2010

Does BP own (contribuited to the campaign of) every other congressman and senator in Congress?

BP probably just forgot about Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

BP will probably contribuite to his future campaigns.