Monday, June 7, 2010

"They Didn't Make Us So...We Didn't " Retorted BP

I know a little something about offshore drilling. My ex husband worked for Duo-Line which was owned by Rice Engineering. Except my ex husband was not an engineer, he was before coming to West Texas a bass player in a band. He landed a job working with cement for casings and within a couple of years moved up into production and then was made the top guy for flying out to Houston to fix engineering problems.

Yeah, there's gaining experience on the job, but really...someone doing an engineer's job without the degree or experience required? Happens all the time. Duo-Line lost their engineer and didn't bother to replace him. So, honestly, it doesn't surprise me that when safety measures are suggested that BP would retort...well, if they're not required...why?

Minerals Management Service questioned the effectiveness of blowout preventers used in extremely deep waters. Their concerns are now our accident in the Gulf. A backup shutoff device was also suggested, but not required by MMS. Why not required? Because the oil and gas industry boo hooed and cried about it. SO...the MMS backed down. Sounds like to me we need some new people with backbones on the MMS. Don't ya think?

Clean up efforts? Hah... all we got now going on is BP pointing fingers at TransOcean who's pointing fingers at Haliburton. Oh, do you remember me begging all of you to demand that Congress pass the Frac Act? Which would require oil and gas companies to disclose what's in Fraccing fluids? Guess what...the dispersants used to "clean up" the spill...an ancient guarded secret...who's feeling foolish now, huh?

Read more about the why, how and who here.

2 comments:

Whyte Wolf said...

So much more to this you have no idea. Good post Joely.

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

Thank you, Robbie :-)