BP Oil Spill: It Could Happen Again

On Wednesday, 365 days will have passed since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and triggered the worst environmental disaster our country has ever seen.

The most disheartening aspect of the whole thing? It could happen again tomorrow.

After the disaster, President Barack Obama reshuffled the Department of Interior's offshore drilling regulators and issued a deepwater drilling moratorium. But symbolic gestures and temporary appeasements make for meager improvements, not the real change residents of the Gulf and most watchdog groups like Public Citizen were expecting.

Numerous investigations concluded that lax regulations encouraged BP and its contractors to prioritize expediency and cost-cutting at the expense of worker safety and environmental protection. And recently, we learned that blowout preventers -- the one piece of equipment that was supposed to be a fail-safe way to prevent an endless gusher -- can fail if the force of oil is too strong.

And yet, Congress still hasn't passed a package of basic drilling-related measures that would substantially improve worker and environmental safety. And the oil industry still hasn't come up with any fail-safe device that works well in deep water.

What will it take?

If the 4 million barrels of oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico didn't prompt them to act, would 10 million?

If the 87 days of around-the-clock experts failing to plug the oil didn't trigger change, would 150 days?

If 11 workers killed on the oil rig didn't spark them to enact reforms, would the deaths of a whole fleet of workers?

We cannot help but keep wondering: Must we wait for "BP: The Sequel" to see change?

Taxpayers are still on the hook for cleanup costs if we have another huge spill because Congress hasn't changed the law that caps oil companies' liabilities at $75 million. That's appalling.

Until regulators are given the authority and resources they need to ensure the safety of deepwater drilling and oil companies invest their record profits into technology that will truly stop an oil spill, it simply isn't prudent to move forward on deepwater drilling.

It's long past time for us to wake up to the fact that America needs an energy policy that holds polluters accountable, provides working families with affordable energy, and protects our air and water resources. Deepwater oil drilling fails these tests.

Our options one year after the Deepwater Horizon disaster are clear: We can either continue to appease dirty energy companies or we can invest in rooftop solar, wind power, energy efficiency and mass transit to ensure a safer, cleaner and more affordable energy future.

 

Comments

[tahoevalleylines]

07:19 PM on 04/21/2011

Mr. Slocum, in the ranks of legions of energy commentators for & against aggressive fossils extraction, is among the more credible authorities of the "green" persuasion. One faults both sides of the energy agenda on the lack of serious scoping of some obvious methodology changes in American transport policy.
Witness Chinese approach to development for enlightenment: Along with all due attention to pent-up consumer demand for autos, China's strategic planners have ensured Societal & Commercial Cohesion through and beyond the Oil Interregnum. Along with luring state of the art manufacturing into their domain, China's rulers have put into place the world's largest renewable infrastructure hardware manufacturing capability.

Railway development in China is the real ace card China plans to hold... Planners in the land of SunTzu have actually read the book! Railways offer, in military lingo, "Second Dimension Surface Transport Logistics Platform", stand alone ability to deliver the raw material and finished goods even in a restricted oil environment. Federal Executive Emergency Orders for motor fuel rationing is being mentioned by some authorities in government and private sector insiders I.E., Rep. Bartlett (RM-D)

Mr. Slocum and his advisers are invited to see Association For The Study Of Peak Oil & Gas articles 374 and 1047 for boilerplate railway policy discussion talking points. See Richard Heinberg's "Museletter" web page and past pages back to 2008 going forward. See Lionel Badel's Paper on Peak Oil and Foreign Policy; in"theoildrum" node 5672. Please, advocate balanced mode transportation policy with strategic gravitas!

[Genders]

08:29 PM on 04/19/2011

It already HAS happened again. Rooftop pv solar, offshore wind and waste bio char bio fuels can supply all the world energy needs 24/7, cheaper, within 7-15 years, safe, clean and forever.

Vote for the Kucinich Progressive Caucus folks if you care.

[eaglett1111]

05:32 PM on 04/19/2011

This is all part and parcel of the bigger picture: corporations are taking over what used to be a democracy.

[Shane Nahumko]

05:12 PM on 04/19/2011

Too true. We're way past the if question, it's simply a matter of when. Easy oil is quickly becoming a thing of the past and instead of directing our resources towards lowering our dependence on fossil fuels, we've doubled down. Hydraulic fracturing, oil sands along with deep sea and arctic drilling are the perfect recipe for disaster.
www.theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com

[Janet Nash]

03:16 PM on 04/19/2011

Someone recently told me that the oil spill is sad but they think we need to continue drilling offshore so that they can get cheap gas to haul them from church to mall in their gas guzzling Cadillac. What the hell is wrong with this country that we are so short sighted and pathologically self interested, while we keep telling ourselves how great we are? Going to Church is a sorry substitute for getting a mirror and really taking an honest look at ones self.

[dihoppy]

09:51 PM on 04/19/2011

so true, i remeber thinking that when I grow up most all houses will have solar panels ,cars would get 50mpg etc.I have had to apologize to my children because apparently I got to busy and stopped thinking about it. also gas was really cheap. No more,

[Rick Claypool]

02:54 PM on 04/19/2011

thoughtful post, Tyson. sad they can't even bring themselves to react to this crises.

[BassguyGG]

11:32 AM on 04/19/2011

No, it WILL happen again! It's just a matter of when. Oil companies are drilling even deeper wells now, when they have already shown quite dramatically that they can't manage mishaps. But Big Oil owns our goverment so the permits will be granted and the safety inspections circumvented and the violations overlooked and it will be Business as Usual. Then, when the next oil spill occurs there will be much media coverage, much handwringing and again nothing will be done in the long-term.

[nolagorilla]

11:05 AM on 04/19/2011

Nightmare well: who sucks up the profit when there's no way to stop it?

http://youtu.be/wfBAZBCp8kc