BP
There's a rig even larger than Deepwater about 150 miles south of New Orleans called Atlantis and from initial reports could dwarf the current spill by many more millions of gallons.
Here's my prospective from the work I've done in hazardous waste over the last many years. An environmental technician either industrial hygenist or other certified tech goes to the site to do an assessment of the work to be done checking for all the nasties that a worker may come into contact. An estimator determines the work to be done and the manner it's to be done by state and federal laws and regulations. The supervisor studies the estimators reports and makes a work plan and estimates material and manpower needed. He's also responsible for all the safety issues, monitoring the hazardous materials to make sure neither his workers nor the public is exposed to the hazards. It's really important that the supervisor keep track of process and any changes that might occur for worker safety. The amount of documents that must be filed would fill an entire drawer of a filing cabinet. All of this must be maintained on a daily basis so that in the event of an accident there is documentation that may be reviewed in court.
With all of this in mind when an inspector, state or federal, comes to a job site the first thing that's looked at is the paperwork. If that is not in order or missing then the entire site is investigated for violations. Or at least that's the way it's supposed to work. Not so with BP. There was missing documentation. If they are so "anal" about having all their paperwork in order as one person in the article mentioned then why was it missing? I've done jobs where there was three to four copies of daily reports required and if something wasn't filed at the right time then work stopped. BP seems to think that they can just make up the rules as they go along. When they don't like a rule they just ignore it then stonewall the issue. And that's not hard when you have the regulators in your pocket.
So where do we go with this situation? In my opinion we really don't need to change the rules just add one or two and enforce the ones we have. I see the head of Mining and Mineral Safety just resigned today. That's a good start.
7 comments:
Whatever, lets just destroy the planet and get this human experiment over with so that nature can heal it again after our sorry asses are gone.
Last week or the week before, Randi Rhodes had independent journalist Greg Palast on. He told how in Alaska BP had trained a team of Eskimos to deploy into the sea from helicopters to set out booms to contain an open-water spill, if there was one. This was evidently part of an agreement with the government BP showed off to Congress to get permits for its projects. But after a couple of years, BP ended its contract with the Eskimo team and instead put the names of several of its employees on a form and filed it away. The employees weren't trained as the Eskimos had been. The company just pencil-whipped the requirement.
When the Exxon Valdez went aground, Palast said, the fired Eskimos watched from shore as the slick spread. They could've contained it, but weren't asked or rehired. That seems to be how BP does things.
I think Uncle Sam should squeeze every dime out of BP to clean up the Gulf mess, and if the company goes bankrupt, all the better for the environment and safety of its workers.
Oil blobs in Key West, FL?
Oy.
NO CAP on BP's payout.
SWA, you're not wrong, but then where will the Dums and the Goopers get their campaign cash, bleed another poor company dry?
I can't believe you're completely ignoring the fate of the spectacle.
Billy we'll just have you head to the beach and we'll just fire off some nukes for ya.
SW with an election coming up we know that won't happen. Both sides will stall any legislation to correct this. If they do pass anything now it'll be so watered down like drinks at a cheap dive.
Roger - True and this stuff doesn't just disappear. Putting dispersant on it usually only makes it sink to the bottom killing any bottom life.
Ken Salazar has some spailing to do as it was his duty to clean up the MMA. Ken who is in favor of monetary limits for BP. Gee wonder if he was in bed with them too.;)
Nice posting Mr.Demeur .... this is a huge f'n mess down here on the Gulf, and I dont even fully understand what anyone is doing in this mess, so lost I couldnt even figure out what to post on this even, or even have the faintest idea what to do! They have some (BP) site set up I hear now like a suggestion box, for the general population to suggest how to clean this mess up and stop the leak, etc .... I heard school kid's all over the nation are devoting classes to it. Geeeeez ... and these are professional's!
Later Dude .........
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