White House Writes & Sends Oil Spill Legislation To Congress

[Obama 2012 1,714]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703339304575240104201298616.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us

WASHINGTON—The White House said Wednesday it is sending legislation to Congress to allow the federal government to collect more damages from companies responsible for oil spills as a sunken rig in the Gulf of Mexico continues to spew thousands of gallons of oil along the Louisiana coast.

Meanwhile, BP PLC, the company that operated the deep-water oil rig that exploded last month, said a second smaller container has reached the seafloor, but it hasn't yet been placed over the blown-out well.

BP spokesman Bill Salvin said Wednesday that the two-ton box had reached the seabed overnight, the Associated Press reported.

Officials want to avoid the same icy, slushy buildup that thwarted their first attempt at using a much larger box that weighed about 100 tons. Mr. Salvin said undersea robots will position the box over the gusher by Thursday.

The legislation comes as President Barack Obama said he is deeply frustrated the leak hasn't been plugged and his administration continues to try to show it is aggressively responding to the disaster.

On Tuesday, the administration said it's splitting the main agency that polices deep-water oil drilling amid concerns the regulator has inherent conflicts because it collects billions of royalties from the oil companies it's charged with overseeing.

In addition to changing a cap on damages the government can collect, the legislation would provide support for fishing industries and people who lose their jobs as a result of an oil spill—two problems facing Louisiana and other Gulf states that count shrimp among their main exports and rely on beaches to attract tourists.

Details of the legislation remain uncertain, though the administration plans on releasing more details later Wednesday.

The Obama administration has stressed that BP will bear the costs of the vast spill despite a cap on damages written into law several decades ago.

It's unclear what caused the rig to explode, and little clarity came from a Senate hearing Tuesday where officials from BP, Halliburton Co. and Transocean Ltd. testified. The companies pointed fingers at one another.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... little clarity came from a Senate hearing Tuesday where officials from BP, Halliburton Co. and Transocean Ltd. testified. The companies pointed fingers at one another.

Of course they did. This is America, not Japan. American executives don't fall on swords unless they're pushed.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

since when in the hell does the White House write legislation?!?!?! That's not their damn job....

Also:

It's unclear what caused the rig to explode

Why is this even being talked about when they don't really know what happened. Sure someone is to blame, but pushing everything off on BP is absurd.

As mentioned plenty of times before as well, the effects on the fishing/tourist industries can be blamed on the government's lack of proper action on the matter and twiddling their thumbs when a plan was on the books that they weren't prepared for.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

since when in the hell does the White House write legislation?!?!?! That's not their damn job....

White Houses have been doing that for a very long time. The legislation they write is always understood to be the "wishlist" of the WH, and has to then be introduced and deliberated (ahem) by normal congressional procedure.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

White Houses have been doing that for a very long time. The legislation they write is always understood to be the "wishlist" of the WH, and has to then be introduced and deliberated (ahem) by normal congressional procedure.

see: butcher and add millions if not billions of dollars in pork before voting upon.

[peejay 327]

Sure someone is to blame, but pushing everything off on BP is absurd.

This is nothing new and has been standard practice in the industry for decades. The operator (i.e.: BP) is ultimately responsible for the damages and will probably sue the contractors after the fact if it is warranted to try to recoup its losses due to the incident. The same goes for unauthorized illegal actions done by employees or contractors while performing work for BP. The operator (BP) is on the hook for any fines or damages whether they approved of the actions or not even if the employees or contractors are prosecuted for that wrongding later. That's just the way it is and always has been. They are the operator of this lease.

[The_Dude 1,142]

If a disaster, such as an oil spill is caused as a result of anything other than terrorism or force majeure, the corporation should and generally is liable for all costs associated with the ensuing cleanup.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The companies pointed fingers at one another.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ4axo9rmJY

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Just so I get this straight Paul...

If I get sick, and have no insurance, or bad insurance and it costs me thousands of dollars, ruining me financially: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

If I am in over my head with a mortgage, doesn't matter if it is due to loss of a job, illness, or being foolish and getting in to a bad mortgage over my means to repay it: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

But, if I am a mega oil corporation, and my drilling operation goes horribly wrong and millions of gallons of oil spew into the ocean, or anywhere else: How can the government hold me accountable for the cost of clean up?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Just so I get this straight Paul...

If I get sick, and have no insurance, or bad insurance and it costs me thousands of dollars, ruining me financially: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

If I am in over my head with a mortgage, doesn't matter if it is due to loss of a job, illness, or being foolish and getting in to a bad mortgage over my means to repay it: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

But, if I am a mega oil corporation, and my drilling operation goes horribly wrong and millions of gallons of oil spew into the ocean, or anywhere else: How can the government hold me accountable for the cost of clean up?

You got it. In America, we privatize profits and socialize risk. Socialism is only acceptable and good if it benefits those that run the country - the corporations. Glad you're finally coming around to see the light.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Just so I get this straight Paul...

If I get sick, and have no insurance, or bad insurance and it costs me thousands of dollars, ruining me financially: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

If I am in over my head with a mortgage, doesn't matter if it is due to loss of a job, illness, or being foolish and getting in to a bad mortgage over my means to repay it: You say my fault, personal responsibility!

But, if I am a mega oil corporation, and my drilling operation goes horribly wrong and millions of gallons of oil spew into the ocean, or anywhere else: How can the government hold me accountable for the cost of clean up?

No one knows who's necessarily responsible here. If BP failed, then it's their fault. If someone else failed, then it's their fault, etc.

Just putting the whole blame on BP since day one and now creating special legislation just so the government can force them to pay more when nothing has been proven yet, is an issue.

If they're responsible, then make them pay. If not though, find out who is and make them pay.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

No one knows who's necessarily responsible here. If BP failed, then it's their fault. If someone else failed, then it's their fault, etc.

Just putting the whole blame on BP since day one and now creating special legislation just so the government can force them to pay more when nothing has been proven yet, is an issue.

If they're responsible, then make them pay. If not though, find out who is and make them pay.

It's BP's operation, isn't it? So, they are responsible. If there are third parties (Transocean, Haliburton, whothefcukever) that BP wants to hold accountable, it's their right to do so. Or is it all of a sudden the government's role to sort it out for BP?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

No one knows who's necessarily responsible here. If BP failed, then it's their fault. If someone else failed, then it's their fault, etc.

Just putting the whole blame on BP since day one and now creating special legislation just so the government can force them to pay more when nothing has been proven yet, is an issue.

If they're responsible, then make them pay. If not though, find out who is and make them pay.

It was BP's operation. They should shoulder the burden for clean up. And if in the end some or all of the fault winds up in the laps of one of the other corporations they can sue each other to recoup those costs.

It is absolutely mind boggling that this spill has continued as long as it has. But there is one responsible party, and for now that is BP. They were running the show when disaster struck, reaping the profits, and are responsible for damages and clean up costs.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

You got it. In America, we privatize profits and socialize risk. Socialism is only acceptable and good if it benefits those that run the country - the corporations. Glad you're finally coming around to see the light.

And this one time, at band camp...

[Obama 2012 1,714]

And this one time, at band camp...

<3 Alyson Hannigan!