Exxon leaks 1000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone river. That's 42,000 gallons in case you're counting. The Yellowstone river is a tributary of the Missouri river so that's where it will land up.
Tim Thennis, a spokesman for the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services division, provided that initial estimate. He added that although no cause of the spill has been determined, it's possible that heavy flooding affecting that part of the U.S. could have played a part. Thennis said that flooding is also interfering with the clean-up effort, meaning the oil could reach the Missouri River, of which the Yellowstone is a tributary, making the task even more difficult for emergency responders. Montana emergency officials have notified officials in North Dakota that the oil could be heading their way, Tennis said.
And now for a little background info from yours truly. Montana is what's called an OSHA state meaning that it is governed under federal laws. States have the right to have their own environmental and workplace laws as long as they are equal to or greater than federal law. Federal laws you might think are very strict, you'd be wrong. Most states with their own laws are far stricter than the feds'. And to boot there is only one federal inspector covering several western states. Ya think they just might be republican? You'd be correct on that. Why follow strict rules meant to protect our water and land when you can get but a mere slap on the wrist for ignoring them? We saw that with BP and the way they operate. A couple of million dollars in fines might seem like a lot but not when you're making a billion or two a day.
I hope you have enjoyed this special Saturday edition of the Friday beaver.
4 comments:
I was meaning to Google this and see how close to the park this oil spill was. It can't be good in any case. And corporations pretend to be dumbfounded when environmentalists don't want drilling or mining in pristine wilderness areas.
Fines should be higher than the cost of complying. After all, corporations are only interested in their bottom line. They have no moral code, only a money code. So, make it worth their while to follow the law.
There needs to be high fines and strong enforcement...something republicans are not interested in.
Jerry's got it. The best way to hurt rich folks is to take away their loot.
I agree. What's a million or two in fines when the company is making billions?
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