Feds Stack Blame on BP For 2010 Deep Horizon Disaster in An Attempt To Sway Public Opinion

[Obama 2012 1,714]

They seem to forget that many of us pay attention to the fact that the ""Minerals Management Service"" was renamed to: "the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management" in wake of this oil spill in an effort to distract people from the fact that Federal regulators were not doing their job!!!!

What's the point of having regulations if they aren't going to be enforced!!!

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http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/09/ap-fed-report-blames-poor-management-missteps-by-bp-and-others-for-gulf-oil-spill/1

The federal government's final report on the Gulf oil spill blames poor management, missteps and a faulty cement job by BP and others for the tragedy that left 11 people dead.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the agency that regulates offshore drilling.

A key finding from the report's executive summary:

The loss of life at the Macondo site on April 20, 2010, and the subsequent pollution of the Gulf of Mexico through the summer of 2010 were the result of poor risk management, last‐minute changes to plans, failure to observe and respond to critical indicators, inadequate well control response, and insufficient emergency bridge response training by companies and individuals responsible for drilling at the Macondo well and for the operation of the Deepwater Horizon.

BP, as the designated operator under BOEMRE regulations, was ultimately responsible for conducting operations at Macondo in a way that ensured the safety and protection of personnel, equipment, natural resources, and the environment. Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon, was responsible for conducting safe operations and for protecting personnel onboard. Halliburton, as a contractor to BP, was responsible for conducting the cement job, and, through its subsidiary (Sperry Sun), had certain responsibilities for monitoring the well. Cameron was responsible for the design of the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer ("BOP") stack.

The panel found evidence that BP and, in some instances, its contractors violated the following federal regulations:

•BP failed to protect health, safety, property, and the environment by (1) performing all operations in a safe and workmanlike manner; and (2) maintaining all equipment and work areas in a safe condition;

•BP, Transocean, and Halliburton (Sperry Sun) failed to take measures to prevent the unauthorized release of hydrocarbons into the Gulf of Mexico and creating conditions that posed unreasonable risk to public health, life, property, aquatic life, wildlife, recreation, navigation, commercial fishing, or other uses of the ocean;

•BP, Transocean, and Halliburton (Sperry Sun) failed to take necessary precautions to keep the well under control at all times;

•BP and Halliburton failed to cement the well in a manner that would properly control formation pressures and fluids and prevent the release of fluids from any stratum through the wellbore into offshore waters;

•BP failed to use pressure integrity test and related hole‐behavior observations, such as pore pressure test results, gas‐cut drilling fluid, and well kicks to adjust the drilling fluid program and the setting depth of the next casing string;

•BP and Transocean failed to conduct major inspections of all BOP stack components; and BP failed to perform the negative test proceduresdetailed in an application for a permit to modify its plans.

The panel held hearings over the course of a year after the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon tragedy. The Coast Guard-Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement investigation was among the most exhaustive, the Associated Press reports.

Other investigations have faulted misreadings of key data, the failure of the blowout preventer to stop the flow of oil to the sea and other shortcomings by executives, engineers and rig crewmembers, the AP says.

[The_Dude 1,142]

There are far too many political appointed positions in critical government agencies. When you politicize agencies that protect the people, you end up with a justice department filled with graduates from a university that the current administration favors, yet is incompetent. Or, in this case, you end up with political hacks appointed to regulatory jobs. They are more interested in perpetuating the crony environment than affecting any change or properly regulating.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

They seem to forget that many of us pay attention to the fact that the ""Minerals Management Service"" was renamed to: "the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management" in wake of this oil spill in an effort to distract people from the fact that Federal regulators were not doing their job!!!!

What's the point of having regulations if they aren't going to be enforced!!!

So, which is it? Do you want to overburden industry with regulation, or not? Isn't industry capable of following acceptable practices without inspectors constantly monitoring their every move?

British Petroleum is a ####### of a company, and never should have been allowed to explore in the U.S.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

So, which is it? Do you want to overburden industry with regulation, or not? Isn't industry capable of following acceptable practices without inspectors constantly monitoring their every move?

British Petroleum is a ####### of a company, and never should have been allowed to explore in the U.S.

The fact of the matter is, there are big safety hazards when drilling on a rig in the middle of the ocean, so certain safety measures are important and should be industry wide. With that being said, if the Feds are going to have regulations and if part of those regulations is them inspecting rigs and clearing them for operations, then it is solely on the Feds if an accident happens like what happened on the Deep Horizon rig. Should BP and the contractors made sure that they did things correctly in the first place? Of course they should have. However that rig could not be operational if it was not for the green light from the Feds. It's why 'MMS' had no choice but to change their name.

On your second point, does BP not provide thousands of Americans with jobs? Think about what you are saying and then think of the people (not just on the rigs) that have jobs and continue to have jobs because BP is there.

There are far too many political appointed positions in critical government agencies. When you politicize agencies that protect the people, you end up with a justice department filled with graduates from a university that the current administration favors, yet is incompetent. Or, in this case, you end up with political hacks appointed to regulatory jobs. They are more interested in perpetuating the crony environment than affecting any change or properly regulating.

and it's unfortunate that things are the way they are. Sad part is there's not much we can do about it right now...

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The fact of the matter is, there are big safety hazards when drilling on a rig in the middle of the ocean, so certain safety measures are important and should be industry wide. With that being said, if the Feds are going to have regulations and if part of those regulations is them inspecting rigs and clearing them for operations, then it is solely on the Feds if an accident happens like what happened on the Deep Horizon rig. Should BP and the contractors made sure that they did things correctly in the first place? Of course they should have. However that rig could not be operational if it was not for the green light from the Feds. It's why 'MMS' had no choice but to change their name.

On your second point, does BP not provide thousands of Americans with jobs? Think about what you are saying and then think of the people (not just on the rigs) that have jobs and continue to have jobs because BP is there.

I see, You are blaming cops because there are child molesters in the world.

Jobs are fungible. If BP lost all its US leases today, then some other company would purchase the leases, and hire most if not all of the 23,000 employees that BP has in the US tomorrow.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I see, You are blaming cops because there are child molesters in the world.

Jobs are fungible. If BP lost all its US leases today, then some other company would purchase the leases, and hire most if not all of the 23,000 employees that BP has in the US tomorrow.

Yes, I'm blaming the cops. Exactly. If you read what I said, you'd know that the rig could not have gone online without the approval of the cops AFTER inspections.

[Nina~ 431]

Yes, I'm blaming the cops. Exactly. If you read what I said, you'd know that the rig could not have gone online without the approval of the cops AFTER inspections.

You are assuming that something was wrong with the rig, which is not true. The semi was in a good working condition. The disaster was a result of not following proper procedure by BP, Transocean, & Halliburton employees. They were cutting a lot of corners to save time and money. However the fault and liability eventually lies with BP because they are the ones who owned the lease to the well.

[The_Dude 1,142]

You are assuming that something was wrong with the rig, which is not true. The semi was in a good working condition. The disaster was a result of not following proper procedure by BP, Transocean, & Halliburton employees. They were cutting a lot of corners to save time and money. However the fault and liability eventually lies with BP because they are the ones who owned the lease to the well.

[slim 1,525]

It was Bush's fault.

[The_Dude 1,142]

It was Bush's fault.

Many of the people responsible for the oversight were hired by Bush. I'd say 2/3 Obama's fault, 1/3 Bush's fault.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Many of the people responsible for the oversight were hired by Bush. I'd say 2/3 Obama's fault, 1/3 Bush's fault.

and if people would pay attention they'd know that the administration took some responsibility for MMS back last year when they even said that it needed an overhaul and they had delayed in doing so.

[Nina~ 431]

and if people would pay attention they'd know that the administration took some responsibility for MMS back last year when they even said that it needed an overhaul and they had delayed in doing so.

Everyone knew that MMS need an overhaul long time ago. You have to understand that MMS & big oil had a very cozy relationship. MMS received their royalties and revenues through big oil, and so they were lax with regulation. MMS was never going to bite the hand that feeds them. And big oil would have never allowed (through lobbying) for an overhaul of MMS. The BP disaster finally gave them a window of opportunity to do overhaul the way things were being done. It was not a cause-effect situation like how you are describing it.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Everyone knew that MMS need an overhaul long time ago. You have to understand that MMS & big oil had a very cozy relationship. MMS received their royalties and revenues through big oil, and so they were lax with regulation. MMS was never going to bite the hand that feeds them. And big oil would have never allowed (through lobbying) for an overhaul of MMS. The BP disaster finally gave them a window of opportunity to do overhaul the way things were being done. It was not a cause-effect situation like how you are describing it.

That's a load of bull and you know it. There was always an opportunity. MMS didn't even change. They just changed their name and a few people involved with it. The BS part about is being that the same group who let regulations fall through the cracks, is the same group doing the investigation and not placing any blame on MMS. Nothing has changed, just a few faces and a name.

[Nina~ 431]

That's a load of bull and you know it. There was always an opportunity. MMS didn't even change. They just changed their name and a few people involved with it. The BS part about is being that the same group who let regulations fall through the cracks, is the same group doing the investigation and not placing any blame on MMS. Nothing has changed, just a few faces and a name.

MMS would have never been allowed to change had it not been for the Macondo incident. This is common knowledge for everyone who works in the oil industry. I don't know what site you get your information from, but you are sorely misinformed.

And I don't understand how you can claim to be a "libertarian" and then cry about lax regulations.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

And I don't understand how you can claim to be a "libertarian" and then cry about lax regulations.