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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Kate Fried or Darcey Rakestraw, Food & Water Watch: (202) 683-2500;
kfried(at)fwwatch(dot)org, drakestraw(at)fwwatch(dot)org

MMS Crosses Its Fingers, Hopes for the Best

Statement from Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch

WASHINGTON

"Yesterday's oil rig fire was not surprising. The MMS, now BOEMRE, has shown repeatedly during the year and a half long supposed investigation of BP Atlantis that it's not interested in ensuring safe regulation of these platforms.

"Michael Bromwich's oversight appears to be no different than his predecessors. The agency's approach to offshore drilling safety appears to be crossing its fingers and hoping for the best--even after the Deepwater Horizon explosion exposed the rampant disregard for safety that BP has repeatedly shown at its operations.

"Bromwich continues to stall on the Atlantis investigation, last week informing Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) that they are continuing to delay it. It's business as usual there under Bromwich, and it's outrageous that he hasn't agreed to meet with us or the whistleblower who brought the safety problems with Atlantis to public attention.

"We continue to demand for the shut-down of the Atlantis platform until proper safety documentation can be produced. The on again, off again investigation that the agency has made conflicting claims about is looking more and more like a farce."

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

(202) 683-2500