The mounting evidence is that the Gulf Oil disaster will cost far more than originally estimated, and that BP is desperately seeking to avoid paying its share of the bill. New data suggest that young dolphins are the latest marine victims of the toxic remnants of the geyser on the floor of the Macondo rig. Marine scientists report that oil residues have not, as previously reported, been digested by bacteria and broken down, but remain on the ocean floor.
Even as the evidence mounts, scientists are hampered by a lack of resources and focus on continuing the assessment. They're worried that we might never really know the full toll of the disaster because we aren't looking in the right places.
What investigations have revealed is that BP knew of the problems with cement seals long before they failed at Macondo. In 2007 BP found that Halliburton, its contractor, couldn't properly test cement seals. Although BP knew that the cement mix it was using was unstable, it failed to oversee Halliburton to make sure nothing went wrong.
Yet in spite of this mounting evidence of BP's culpability, the company is resisting efforts to make it honor its earlier promises to "make it right." BP is challenging efforts to distribute the $20 billion fund to protect businesses and residents along the Gulf from the future damages they will suffer from the disaster. Louisiana officials report that the oil company has reneged on commitments it made earlier to help restore oyster beds and fisheries.
In fact, it appears that BP might actually benefit from its failure to oversee the drilling operation carefully. The company will argue in court that because it had so little control over the operation, its shore-based managers did not have enough information to "willfully disregard" the risks, and therefore cannot be found guilty of being "grossly negligent". This means that BP's liability might drop from $40 billion to $18 billion for its Clean Water Act violations -- and that more of the total bill would be owed by BP's partner, Anadarko Petroleum.
But these final decisions will be made in court, and the Sierra Club this week joined the lawsuits seeking to hold BP responsible for its full share of the liability and the costs. As Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said: "For too long, American taxpayers have footed the bill for polluters who destroy our water and air. We can't let that happen here. The road to restoration for the Gulf Coast will be long and hard. We need to make sure BP and the other responsible parties pay for the damage they've done. The oil industry must learn a lesson from this tragedy."
Follow Carl Pope on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarlPope
Rocky Kistner: Death of a Dolphin Sparks Anger in the Gulf
Carl Pope’s excellent article says “he mounting evidence is that the Gulf Oil disaster will cost far more than originally estimated, and that BP is desperately seeking to avoid paying its share of the bill”.
Forgive my cynicism, but I had expected no better. The people in BP care only about their bloated bonuses.
Sincerely, Derek Lantin. http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com
Seldom mentioned anymore is the question of criminal negligence leading to the deaths of 11 people. I don't believe anyone has sent so much as a Barney Fife to look into that detail.
With the Libya situation and general uncertainty in the Middle East, it won't be long before the Greek chorus of petroleum addiction begins its rhythmic clamor of "drill baby drill."
It will be sickening to watch BP slip away but I'm afraid it's inevitable.
It's management would've been fired and the company, like Arthur Anderson, would no longer be able operate an oil drilling business in the United States ever again.
Then the workers, engineers and all of the assets would've worked under the interest of the general public and later at some point sold back to private investors if at all.
The victims would've been compensated without all of these loopholes and run-a-rounds but it seems like no one in this country has ever heard of the term bankruptcy or government confiscation.
Americans are like others in third-world countries where they just refuse to stand up and prefer to be run-over by big corporate monopolies on Wall Street/City of London.
I will place my money on "No".
Note that many of these statistics have nothing to do with dollar values, which is the only way that BP can be held liable since they cannot miraculously fix the environment, nor can the be held financially responsible therefore.
Also note that Mr. Pope's claims that BP is attempting to elude financial responsibility are completely fictitious. Among the numerous articles he links to are the articles in question, wherein BP claims that Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the $20B victims fund, is spending the money more freely than he should. Mr. Pope takes this as evidence that BP has no intention of paying for damages, but that's a complete fabrication. Note that BP had no legal obligation to set up that $20B fund; they have no obligation to pay a cent until a court finds them legally liable. That would have taken years with appeals, and almost all plaintiffs would have settled out of court for far less than their claims. Instead, BP set up the fund to allow people to have relief in the meantime (and buy some goodwill).
Now, BP claims that Mr. Feinberg is paying too freely (i.e., supporting fraud). To claim this is evidence that BP has no intention of paying is simply ludicrous, and is frankly a libel against BP. You don't have to like them, but that doesn't excuse lying about them.
"There is simply no factual basis to assume, as the GCCF proposes, that, Gulf-wide, claimants
will experience losses in 2011 equaling 70% of their 2010 losses and losses in 2012 equaling
30% of 2010 losses, so that final payments should be twice the amount of actual substantiated
loss."
http://www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com/public_comments.pdf
And I am, as usual in these cases, correct.
But willful ignorance is not a valid defense.