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BP's Oil Spill Caused by Fed's 'Dangerous Culture of Permissiveness'
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration focused from its earliest days on ramping up domestic oil and gas production, charged House Democrats, but at the same time allowed the industry a "dangerous culture of permissiveness" that culminated in the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar testifies before the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee regarding reforms to offshore oil and gas oversight and enforcement on Capitol Hill in Washington June 23, 2010. (REUTERS/Yuri Gripas) The House panel interrogated former Interior Department secretaries who implemented the 2001 recommendations of former Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, which in turn resulted in an executive order requiring federal agencies to expedite offshore drilling and other domestic energy production.
Dirk Kempthorne, his predecessor Gale Norton, as well as the current Interior Secretary in the Obama administration, Ken Salazar, were all called before the House Energy and Commerce committee Tuesday about their oversight of the regulatory agency that oversaw offshore drilling, the Minerals Management Service.
The committee, which has been investigating the cause of the explosion, also is examining potential regulatory lapses that could have increased the likelihood of the massive blowout that killed 11 people, and that until this week, was pumping an estimated 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
"There has been a pervasive failure by the regulators to take the actions necessary to protect safety and the environment," said Rep Bart Stupak , D- Mich. , the chairman of the committee's oversight and investigative subcommittee. "These failures to regulate happened at the same time as federal officials offered oil and gas companies new incentives to drill in deeper and riskier waters in the Gulf of Mexico."
Norton, he said, gave in to the oil and gas industry when it objected to proposals to strengthen government regulations. Reports prepared for MMS in 2001, 2002 and 2003 recommended two blind-shear rams on blowout preventers and questioned the reliability of their backup systems, Stupak said. But the regulations finalized in 2003, during her tenure, didn't require a second blind-shear ram backup system on blowout preventers or even testing of backup systems.
As recently as three months ago, the regulatory and response structure of government was based on decades of success in the Gulf of Mexico , Norton said. Plans under both Republican and Democratic administrations were adopted against that backdrop of safety, she said.
But the decisions the Interior Department made when she was in charge sent a clear message to the industry, said Rep. Harry Waxman , D- Calif, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee: "The priority was more drilling first, and safety second."
Democrats noted that Norton left to work as general counsel for Shell Oil amid the scandals in the Interior Department over the influence of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Last year, the Justice Department began investigating her role in a Shell lease; on Tuesday she referred questions about the status of the investigation to her lawyer.
But while Democrats focused on the Bush administration failures, they also were critical of the current administration's approach to energy and offshore drilling - as were Republicans.
The Republican chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee, Rep. Joe Barton , R- Texas , said the Obama administration was just as complicit as the previous administration.
Salazar had overseen some reforms, Waxman said. But he had done little to change drill permit procedures at the Minerals Management Service, the agency that that's recently been restructured and renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management , Regulation and Enforcement.
"There is little evidence that these reforms change the laissez-faire approach (at) MMS in regulating the BP well," Waxman said. The blowout, he said, "was a wake-up call for this administration and for Congress."
Barton urged his colleagues to focus on the decisions made under the current Interior secretary, not the two past ones testifying Tuesday morning. Although the Interior Department sold BP the lease during the Bush administration, the Obama administration signed off on the company's drilling plan, including the environmental impacts.
"We want to understand why the department allowed BP to do what it did," Barton said. "Americans want to understand what the Obama administration's response to the oil spill was and is."
He and other Republicans also used the hearing to continue to call for the White House to end the deepwater drilling moratorium that many - on both sides of the aisle - fear will be devastating to the Gulf Coast's economy.
Salazar said that he believes it's "imprudent and irresponsible" to lift the moratorium until they are assured of the safety of deepwater drilling practices, the ability of companies to contain oil in the event of a blowout, and the adequacy of their oil spill response plans.
"We are not out of the woods, even though this well has been temporarily shut in, because until we get to the ultimate kill of the well, the situation is still a very dangerous one," Salazar said.
Kempthorne, Interior secretary from 2006 through January 2009 , said that no one conceived of an oil spill of the magnitude of the one in the Gulf during his tenure.
It wasn't raised at his confirmation hearing or when the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act was considered in 2006, Kempthorne said. Instead, when gas prices were hovering around $4 a barrel, he said he was asked pointedly why his agency wasn't "doing more to expand offshore energy development, not less."
Both Norton and Kempthorne said they were reluctant to criticize their successor, but acknowledged they didn't agree with the moratorium.
"A moratorium will compound the devastation by the economic devastation that will continue by the loss of jobs," Kempthorne said. "And the Gulf Coast region needs an opportunity to recover, and not have further devastation."
42 Comments so far
Show All"The Republican chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee, Rep. Joe Barton , R- Texas , said the Obama administration was just as complicit as the previous administration."
Well! Joe finally got one right.
"Both Norton and Kempthorne said they were reluctant to criticize their successor, but acknowledged they didn't agree with the moratorium.
"A moratorium will compound the devastation by the economic devastation that will continue by the loss of jobs," Kempthorne said. "And the Gulf Coast region needs an opportunity to recover, and not have further devastation."
Ya Think? Only idiots would be trying to play politics in the middle of a disaster. Nothing suppoerts their claims or their agenda. Disgraceful behavior.
Great job Kenny!
How can anyone treat Joe Barton as worth quoting? How could anyone who knew Ken Salazar's background have expected anything less than a basic continuation of Bush approaches. Isn't it shocking that Norton, working now for Shell, is opposed to the moratorium?
And, uh, by the way, the problem is not a second set of safety mechanisms and testing the readiness of first and second order safety systems. The problem is a refusal to prioritize conservation, efficiency, renewable sources of energy and urban renewal rather than suburban sprawl/rural exurbanism. Even more than that, the problem is that the Democrats, as much as the Republicans, are pro-business neoliberals opposed to grassroots democracy and the American public is politically quiescent outside of reactionary and xenophibic anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-cosmopolitan, anti-government, and (either duplicitous or contradictory) free-market groups.
If y'all want better environmental conditions, improved public health and stronger, more informed and open-minded community you're going to have to stop watching the world go by, stop sending money is lieu of getting off your but and reduce the proportion of "good works" you do and increase the amount of pressure you and your friends put on the power's that be.
These kinds of congressional sessions are circuses, the American public deserves a meaty discourse instead of the same old, low nutrition bread.
Reading about a big oil spill off the coast of China. Another article said they passed your Nation as the number one energy consuming Nation upon the earth.
Another day of betting you wouldn't have the problems of your Nation solved today, nor the earth saved yet.
So I win again. Fantastic winning streak. Life in the pay your bills and die world of the Europeans except it's pretty much everywhere unless one belong to a remote Tribe the cash register world hasn't gotten to yet.
Life is good. What any experience! It's always best to forgive.
Slowly but surely the cash register world Beast of Civilization will get to them one way or the other. Already has in just the destruction of the earth. Chew them up and spit them out, and then try to pretend they did them some really big favor.
Oh, now instead of just living simply with the earth your can attend the schools of the Beast of Civilization that you never needed. You can learn to count change, and balance a checkbook.
Instead of living simply with the earth now we will number you, keep files on you, and herd you through our Beast of Civilization like moo cows. You, too can watch to see if Ronald McDonald and Mayor McCheese ever catch the Hamburgler. And Walmart is rolling back prices. And not just for you, but for everyone.
Life is good. What an experience! It's always best to forgive.
shadowdancer:
I'm not so sure about that winning streak. I think Paul, the octopus has you beat.
I'm going to the grocery tomorrow on my bike. Got it out of a dumpster. It had been wrecked. I fixed it. Keep a'rollin' along and save crude ile.
Latest reports aren't promising on what other damage may have occurred in the
area of this well -- but blowing it up?
I've also read that this is a vast oil reserve they've drilled into which lies
under three states -- and because they didn't want to pay royalties to those
states, they drilled into the EDGE of the reserve. And, they also drilled deeper
than they were given permission to do.
There are 50,000 rigs in the Gulf now -- which would suggest that the ocean floor
has pretty much been turned into mesh.
The 26 year ban on off shore drilling was based on sane and truly conservative
values -- what has happened since is insane and reckless and endangers our nation.
Until we NATIONALIZE the oil industry, we will never have alternative energy.
And it should have been nationalized decades ago --
In 1960, JFk ran on a Democratic Platform which called for NATIONALIZING the oil
industry --
"According to all myth, the female - not the male -- gives life"
looks like a game of passing the buck
big business passes responsibility for ther actions onto the government, saying, "but the government let us do it, so it's their fault"
government passes responsibility onto voters, saying "you elected us"
neat trick
The list of crimes by BP and other oil companies that are glaringly provable is long enough to stop the blather and begin putting people in jail. Let's get on with it. Oh wait, we don;t hold the rich and powerful accountable, which is why GWB is still clearing brush and Dick Cheney still doesn't have a DNR. Sorry, lost my head.
The Republicans say a moratorium will cause economic damage in the Gulf. What do they think just happened? And its many times bigger than any damage a moratorium could cause.
Gulf of Mexico oil production may have peaked in 2002, in spite of all the deepwater drilling. We probably should be saving this oil for the future. So a moratorium is just a taste of the future, and its only until the authorities review the regulations and make some improvements. The disregard for law and regulation of the Cheney administration is what caused the catastrophe.
The Repubs just want to drag everything out until the elections. In their fantasy world the Reagan-Bush era will return.
The Reagan-Bush era HAS returned, and it's called the Obama Administration, who are you kidding?
The policies of Reagan and Bush were with us under Clinton as well. My god are there still stupid people out there who think Republicans and Democrats govern differently?
Delia,
Thank you.
Chelsea
"_____________ Caused by Fed's 'Dangerous Culture of Permissiveness'
Just fill in the blank folks! It works every time.
This is not news this is our history and why we are
here at every single level of this corrupted government!!
Shouldn't the title have been: Feds'
Companies donate large sums to Politicians for Favors.
When BP gave $70,000 to Obama, they expected Favors and got them. Obama wants to drill on the East Coast. Who will own the Pipeline in Afghanistan?
The U.S. prided itself on hanging Saddam Hussein. I have a list of people who have done far, far more damage to the health and livelihoods of the American people. They begin with Dick Cheney and end with Tony Hayward. But, they are walking free? Shouldn't we change that, and begin the trials? Does our court system work anymore? Or, have we just given up on justice, forever looking forward, Obama style?
Ken Salazar is a complacent, middle-brow hack and a career apparatchik. Colorado oil barons gave Ken his start in politics and he will always remember whose ring he had to kiss.
The Obama regime could have cleaned house at Interior and MMS on day one. The Cheney/Bush regime made it a top priority to drive all qualified agency employees out and replace them with industry operatives whose mission was to destroy the agencies from within. They censored reports, ignored others, re-wrote regs and snorted cocaine off hooker's asses in industry-paid hotel rooms. If Cheney/Bush could get away with that for as long as they did, Obama could have gotten away with reversing it.
On the basis of the MMS scandal, Obama could have purged the agency, pre-emptively yanked all permits issued under Cheney/bush and placed a hold on all new permits until an outside, third party review had been done. There would have been no basis for a legal challenge in doing this (though, of course, industry would have sued) and he would have had widespread public support.
That, however, would have taken balls...
Bravo!
Indeed!
The guy now residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is walking the line for the corporate paymasters who elected him. Various websites were reporting cash flows into the Obama election headquarters by October 2008 that showed who that guy was playing for. To expect him to play for anyone else, like 98.7% of the American populace, is not reasonable. The same for all of his team-Salazar, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (worked for the banks and still does, Ben S. Bernanke (a bankman all the way) and on down the list.
Again, to expect anyone on the Obama team to work for anyone other than the corporate directors who paid the way for the Obama train . . . ..
won't happen.
Rubbish! This blame game is childish.
The Fed's dangerous culture of permissiveness is caused by the US consumer.
The US citizen cannot face up to the simple fact that the line of clowns culminating in G.W. Bush/Obama, wars and death, oil, CO2 and environmental destruction and now the Fed are expressions of them.
The size of the US enables this obscenely great circle of finger pointing to continue with no one recognising that the finger they are pointing is the one pressing into their back.
Break the circle!
PS: No one recognises it but every last one knows it.
You think your corporate, patent-protected, presidential elections are above-board? You're one sick puppy. They don't need brownshirts or blackshirts when they own the machines.
You're full of it, technology for the electric car has been available for decades and our dependence on oil had vanished if corporate mobsters hadn't bribed politicians to keep oil as primary source of energy.
There are a lot of consumers breaking from oil on their own, relying on wind and solar, but not everyone has the means to do that, so don't blame the victim.
The irony of it is, is that most gulf states are red states that were hard core republican, and vehemently against government regulation. Their motto was let's "drill baby drill," and bring more oil jobs to our state(s). I'd definitely say they were complicit. Until we see ourselves as part of the problem and cease to cooperate with our own destruction and the destruction of the environment, I'm afraid little can be done. It's seems like we still need more catastrophic shocks to wake us up. Unfortunately, by then it may be too late.
"Instead, when gas prices were hovering around $4 a barrel, he said he was asked pointedly why his agency wasn't "doing more to expand offshore energy development, not less."
When crude hit $145 a barrel and prices at the pump soared, it had little to do with supply and demand. This was the result of market manipulations and speculation. It was not long before crude dropped to $45.
The push to deregulate offshore drilling was intended to reduce drilling costs and increase profits.
Read it and weep:
Hon. Jack Layton (Toronto—Danforth, NDP): Mr. Speaker, British Petroleum operates the oil rig that is causing this catastrophe. BP also recently acquired three licences in the Beaufort Sea for more than 6,000 square kilometres of drilling rights. At the same time, it is applying right now to weaken the environmental standards regarding drilling.
BP failed to prevent the worst ecological disaster we have seen since the Exxon Valdez and now it wants to have its way with our Arctic.
Will the Prime Minister state clearly here today that there will be no weakening of the environmental standards as requested by BP?
Ms. Paule Brunelle (Trois-Rivières, BQ): Mr. Speaker, while 38 million litres of oil have already spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, and while several coastal species and the way of life of local residents are threatened because of the negligence of the oil giant BP, we have learned that here in Canada, oil companies are asking the National Energy Board for more lenient regulations regarding Arctic development.
Is it not time, rather, to impose stricter regulations on oil companies?
Mr. Nathan Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP): Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak to this issue. This will be of interest to all members and in fact all Canadians. I wrote to you earlier today to seek leave for an emergency debate on the topic of safety and regulation of the offshore oil and gas drilling industry in Canada. The specifics and need for the emergency debate are clear. Canadians and the rest of the world have seen the horrors, as the Prime Minister referred to today, of the environmental disaster that is happening in the Gulf of Mexico right now. Almost one million litres of oil are spewing up from the seabed floor onto the coast of New Orleans and other places across the coast.
The Deepwater Horizon explosion is relevant to the Canadian context and is relevant for an emergency debate because the very same companies involved with that project are seeking an exemption. They are probing and lobbying the government right now to seek exemptions from the safety practices that are not being applied right now in the gulf, so in fact lessening the safety rules.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&DocId=4489130
Since the Reagan administration, the US has embraced the idea that we must not burden corporations with rules, regulations and, above all, tax responsibilities. We were told we must trust that corporations will make decisions in the best interests of the American people. We were stupid. Deregulation has been a catastrophe in every respect. Years of annual "tax relief" has resulted in fewer -- not more -- jobs, and declining wages and working conditions.
When a course of action proves to have disastrous results, it is time to reverse course. We allowed the free ride for corporations out of fear that legitimate regulations and tax rates would cause them to export our jobs. As it turned out, they exported our jobs anyway -- and we paid for it.What we need to do is RE-regulate corporations. If they receive so much as a penny of tax relief/govt money, they must be prohibited to exporting jobs for a period of years, and establish a record of job creation here in the US. Reduce corporate profits, improve conditions and wages for workers. Obviously, increased wages result in increased consumer buying, which increases the need for workers to produce more products. Corporations that don't like it are free to leave the country, but must be barred from selling their products here for at least 25 years. Those companies that choose to leave will quickly be replaced with new companies that are willing to "play by all the rules."
Well said, DH.
We the People are not only paying the price for U.S. Corporations, but international corporations as well.
The Feds don't want us to know where the TARP, TALF and other money went because it was used to bailout foreign banksters that were also gambling along with U.S. banksters.
The looting will continue until the majority wake up and realize how they're being plundered to keep the super-wealthy rich and in control.
This is all good stuff, so what do we do ? Can we draw up a petition to Congress ,Pass it around get signitures and take them all to Court ? When I found out from my electric company, the only one in my area , that I pay each month to create more electricty, I was furious. Why should I pay to produce the product and then have to pay for it...full price no less. When you buy a tire, you do not purchase the rubber, send it to be made (that part I was charged $55 a month) in the factory and then go to the store and buy it ! That is exactly what I have to do to get electricity. I do not understand why people that are unemployed aren't being educated at all levels to create a Green world. We don't need to kill our planet to stay warm, and get from place to place...that is madness, and just stupid. We should have a "New Deal Energy Bill" it always takes something huge and important to get us going again, what could be worse, poisened water forever, all our families dying of Cancer. When I was a kid, you might know a kid, who knows a kid ,who's grandma's sister had Cancer... Now days there is not one person, that doesn't know people, that have died, from it, and survived from it,..That doesn't strike everbody as odd? We the People, need to stop flapping, and insist our Goverment save our asses ! We can write our local Goverment, and just keep writing until we see it on CNN. lol
Well said.
The sock puppets in DC have given BP carte blanche to one of the most dangerous possible areas in the Gulf, without any regulations. It was/is a recipe for disaster.
Sadly, "we the people" haven’t a say in this matter.
We're supposed to be a dignified species? Not anymore. It is the demise of an empire.
Wow! If the elite establishment scolds itself in public for its heinous crimes then the people can keep consuming like there's no tomorrow and ignore their civic duty to smash the elite establishment to smithereens.
Oh, and let's not forget the great effect that such a simple threat can have upon elites given that it's the only language they understand. It's universally recognized among all of them, so it covers all sectors and scenarios.
"He and other Republicans also used the hearing to continue to call for the White House to end the deepwater drilling moratorium that many - on both sides of the aisle - fear will be devastating to the Gulf Coast's economy."
So the Repuks can still get away with such stupidity? If they get a handful of extra seats in the congruss this fall, they'll have a license to start another War on Muslims, and definitely expand their War on Nature!
"A moratorium will compound the devastation by the economic devastation that will continue by the loss of jobs," Kempthorne said. "And the Gulf Coast region needs an opportunity to recover, and not have further devastation."
Kempthorne
In other words: "Keep digging", or in this case, "drilling".
I know these B.P. Pigs, will never pay for what they have done. That is obvious, just in the fact that they are the criminals of this crime, and they are in charge of the crime scene. That just doesn't make sense on any crime show. So our Goverment has once again sold us out. What are we gonna do about it ? I am thinking Petitions, Court, something We the People should be able to sign, and get heard in front of someone ! We need to state our case, and grievences, and then get Council to present them. We insist on turning green, stop killing all our land and water, a Nation that poisens it's own water, has dead people, for I don't know how long, until we are so week we are conquered ? I think we can all agree no matter which Party you lean towards.We do not want to poisen our Land and Water anymore,we do not want Corporations to dictate our Country's behavior anymore. We want them to Pay Taxes at a fair rate. We do not want the Banks to be able to gamble with our money, and recieve obcene bonuses,etc. I 'm not trying to write the Bill, I am just saying we need to get progressive if we want this Country to move forward in a rich and fair productive fashion. This is not impossible, the powers that be, are headed in the wrong direction for this Country to survive. They are willing to kill millions of us to get rich ! They have proven that over, and over again. How stupid how long must we fight each other instead of our real enemy. Remember the saying ....The Ememy of My Enemy is My Friend, Well Republicans, Democrats ,Liberals, whatever you are, our common enemy is the Goverment !! What are we gonna do about it ?
Both parties are responsible for this mess.
They're on the take.
Of course Salazar didn't change the agency grants permits. He's from Colorado. Obama knew that when he appointed him. Colorado's economy is based on carbon not broccoli.
The alleged clean up is suffering from a cult of permissiveness as well.
What in blazes is BP doing still calling the shots after proving conclusively over and over again that they can't be trusted with our environment.
There will be plenty of jobs in the Gulf for decades cleaning up this mess without endangering whatever is left for a handful of jobs on unsafe oil rigs. Obviously integrity and intelligence aren't requirements to sit in the Senate.
Senate Office of Public Records and the Clerk of the House reports indicate ConocoPhillips, BP, Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp spent over 16 million dollars lobbying legislators on energy issues, in just the first quarter of this year. In the same period, the US Chamber of Commerce spent over 30 million on energy and financial issues. It is not surprising then, that citizens’ concerns are not the focus of many in congress, to wit, the recent clean energy bill dying in the Senate. Our minds and votes can be bought, but the manna from corporate America is the real brass ring.