Exxon, BP CEOs: It Was 'Embarrassment' To Include Walruses In Gulf Response Plan (VIDEO)

The grilling of the major oil executives at Tuesday's Congressional hearing into America's energy future got off to an early start.

The topic: walruses.

Noting that most oil producers included walruses in their oil spill regional response plans despite the fact that the mammal is not native to the Gulf of Mexico, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson:

"As I'm sure you know, there aren't any walruses in the Gulf of Mexico and there have not been for three million years. How can Exxon Mobil have walruses in their response plan for the Gulf of Mexico?"

Tillerson began to describe how the plan is made up of several studies before cutting to the chase:

"And it's unfortunate that walruses were included. It's an embarrassment that they were included."

Markey then asked the other execs, including Chevron CEO John Watson and BP CEO Lamar McKay whether they were also embarrassed. They all said yes.

WATCH:

Comments

[bronncohowie]

05:14 PM on 06/16/2010

Yes, it was an "embarrassment", but, if not for this catastrophe they wouldn't have cared. The cookie cutter plan was not even read by the "regulators" at the MMS.

[retromega]

04:54 PM on 06/16/2010

So BP calls it an "embarassment"! Why should they be "embarassed?" Because their response showed just what care they took in putting together what was probably the most important PR effort they will ever do!

In this response they cut and pasted their heart felt and reassuring response. Then BP didn't think that the American people were worthy of having someone edit their copy! What did they save on a few pages of press release? At most $50! So all of America found out what BP is willing to spend on reassuring the people it has ruined, $50. What is $50 to Bp? About half a second of their CEO's precious time?

I think its about time that the President invoke his emergency powers and exercise overcite over the exploitation of America's critical resources. This is a disaster that far outweighs the temporary setback of Pearl Harbor!

Its time the American people united and faced their future with clear eyes. Every American seems to think that they will win some lottery and be able to tell all other Americans to screw themselves because they are now rich! That is why everyone is now poorer than they were 24 years ago!

We will win together or hang separately! Just like in 1776!

[KENNETH BESOLD]

02:44 PM on 06/16/2010

There embarrassed? I think there just mad they got caught with there pants down. The walrus wasn't Paul

[VeganSue]

08:34 AM on 06/16/2010

The SAME plan was used by ALL the OIL companies because it was PROVIDED by the federal government.

This was the first thing that came to my mind and Anderson Cooper (CNN last night) said the same thing.

The Mineral Management Service (MMS) is NOT a private organization as government PR wants the public to believe. It is THE GOVERNMENT, a department overseen by the Interior Secretary, OBAMA-appointed Ken Salazar.

ONE AND ONE HALF years ago, Obama appointed Salazar to REFORM the MMS. The contract with BP for Deepwater Horizon was rubber-stamped BY OBAMA (the same contract with the "walruses" and missing 500k SHUTOFF VALVE that would have PREVENTED the oil explosion).

READ: Rolling Stone investigative article detailing THIS administration's involvement in the oil explosion. (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics)

[Eric Roberts]

05:14 PM on 06/16/2010

Actually the contract was signed in January 2008...

[Donns]

07:29 AM on 06/16/2010

Wow, how stupid do these Oil company executives think we are? Pretty stupid since we endured 12 years of members of their club being president.

[Ed C Atlanta]

06:59 AM on 06/16/2010

maybe walruses were included in the plan , because if you look at the bp chairman, he kind of favors a walrus, maybe we can use his blubbery hide to help plug up the well.

[EarlRichards]

06:16 AM on 06/16/2010

Oil corporations' advertisements are designed for anyone who is stupid enough to believe them.

[futbol4fun]

05:36 AM on 06/16/2010

Congressional hearings are just another television channel that doesn't get the highest of Nielsen ratings. I think that people may be coming to the conclusion that it is simply one drawn-out campaign commercial.

These, like any other hearing, are simply effete, sterile individuals who need to provide chatter to sedate and console the American people.

[rtb61]

04:45 AM on 06/16/2010

Let's be fair with BP on this one, they weren't talking about actual walruses, it was just a friendly nick name for the politicians on the BP campaign payroll and quite a few of them do have the build of a walrus, the intellect of walruses, a lot of the stuff they do is pretty fishy and if you know the internet meme they are always looking for their bucket (well at least to fill it with cash).

[futbol4fun]

05:42 AM on 06/16/2010

I could have sworn that during the State of the Unions speeches that Baby Bush gave, he would toss out presidential favor to those people who squawked and clapped their hands the loudest. I saw something like that at Sea World once but the recipients of the scraps seemed to be much more civilized.

[redcelt]

02:44 AM on 06/16/2010

The real plan is once I'm rich enough I won't care if the incompetently delegated cut & paste protocols make any sense at all.

[futbol4fun]

05:47 AM on 06/16/2010

I'm not sure if you aware of this, but you are Frank Zappa and I'm sure that you are making a decent living off of your royalties. Now you are dead, but I'm sure that if you have enough money, Congress can pass a law to overcome that status ailment. Don't let the fact that your deceased get you down, we live in the best country that money can buy. Just ask China and Japan.

[redcelt]

01:44 PM on 06/16/2010

I think we actually live in the best country that money can sell.

[arlandbaee]

02:12 AM on 06/16/2010

Reminds me of 'spirit fingers' from "Bring It On".

[ChangeurMind]

02:12 AM on 06/16/2010

Jon Stewart nailed Obama tonight. Could not be more spot on.

[arlandbaee]

02:11 AM on 06/16/2010

What did they do, take the plan for the arctic and replace the name with the gulf of mexico. As if those two areas are in anyway similar outside of water.

[JeffreyGold]

01:58 AM on 06/16/2010

Ok, so no walruses. Can we move on now to larger topics?

[futbol4fun]

05:48 AM on 06/16/2010

Such as...

[JeffreyGold]

10:34 AM on 06/18/2010

Ignored.

[GrizzlyBowman]

01:44 AM on 06/16/2010

I'm aghast that hyenas were left out. Ugly but they have rights too. And what about the Tarpan? Those are Gulf critters too. Can't leave out the flying ones. Warp snakes too.