The Love Fest Between U.S. Regulators and Big Oil

by: Libby Shaw

Sun May 16, 2010 at 16:25:08 PM CDT

An article in the New York Times reveals the Minerals Management Services gave permission to BP and other oil companies to drill in the Gulf without requiring permits that are obtained at another agency.  The MMS also put a muzzle on the agency's scientists.

The Minerals Management Service, or M.M.S., also routinely overruled its staff biologists and engineers who raised concerns about the safety and the environmental impact of certain drilling proposals in the gulf and in Alaska, according to a half-dozen current and former agency scientists.

Those scientists said they were also regularly pressured by agency officials to change the findings of their internal studies if they predicted that an accident was likely to occur or if wildlife might be harmed.

Under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Minerals Management Service is required to get permits to allow drilling where it might harm endangered species or marine mammals.

Meanwhile BP, Deepwater Horizon and Halliburton refuse to take responsibility for the devastating link by pointing fingers at one another. What an irresponsible, disgraceful and disgusting bunch.  

BP's chief executive Tony Hayward said he felt under no pressure to stand down but admitted his future depends on how the company deals with the crisis.

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper he said: "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean.

"The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume."

But speaking to The Times newspaper he said: "I think I will be judged by the response. I don't feel my job is on the line but of course that might change."

Meanwhile the little ol' leak continues to spell an unmitigated disaster for regions in the Gulf.  

Mr. Hayward does not want us to know that there is a gas leak that is 3000 times worst than oil.

This repost of a diary from 2 days ago describes the fact that there is 3000 times more natural gas coming out of the leak than oil.  All of the gas is currently staying in the water because the ocean has the capacity to hold large quantities of methane in solution.

When methane breaks down it depletes oxygen in the water.
Then, when it continues to break down it produces hydrogen sulfate

After some discussions with people who are currently working to determine the extent of this undersea damage, I decided we need to revisit this topic:  The damage of the massive amounts of Gas being released into the gulf is worse than the oil.

The diary linked above is a substantive one that includes charts that give us a glimpse into the long term and devastating consequences of this "little ol' leak."

A number of diaries about this calamity have been posted on Daily Kos by folks who have worked in oil and gas for over 30 years.  Others are geologists and scientists who appreciate the devastating significance of this apparently unstoppable oil volcano.  Unfortunately we will not see the same kind of exhaustive reporting in most of our newspapers and on TV.

This horror would have never happened had not such a cozy relationship existed between U.S. Regulators and the oil industry.  It is as if the Bernie Madoff of big oil ran the agency that was supposed to have regulated it.  A thorough purging of all complicit players in the Interior Dept., especially the MMS, should take place immediately.  Any Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and W. holdover should be fired yesterday.  And any complacent Clinton and/or Obama appointees should also be shown to the door.

Finally, BP should be fired and thrown out of the entire Gulf b/c it remains clueless as to how to stop the carnage it has inflicted upon our environment and economy.  It is time for a team of federally appointed scientists and O&G experts to take over. Such a team would have far more credibility than the likes of a reckless and irresponsible BP.