President Obama's address to the nation

[Stretch]

They all feature a hotline to a now deceased oil expert. Eeek.

In 2009, BP listed Peter Lutz as its wlidlife expert in the event of the spill. He had already been deceased for four years at the time of his listing.

 

[justasimpleguy]

It cracks me up to see Trinity attacking Obama's administration over regulatory issues. As if they could have just restaffed the entire MMS in a year and a half with everything else that's been falling apart.

 

[Trinity]

It cracks me up to see Trinity attacking Obama's administration over regulatory issues. As if they could have just restaffed the entire MMS in a year and a half with everything else that's been falling apart.

Actually Interior Secretary didn't like how Bush addressed the MMS scandal so Salazar took the bull by the horns and attacked it himself. Interior Secretary Salazar had every opportunity to change MMS that he needed...he failed to provide the proper direction and focus - and basically the Obama Administration's incompetence led to them granting BP an exclusion to regulation:

New scrutiny for Interior unit

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Thursday that he has ordered a re-examination of the scandalized Interior Department division based in Lakewood, including why the U.S. Justice Department did not pursue more criminal prosecutions.

/"There's a new sheriff in town," Salazar said during a news conference at the MMS complex. "We will be visiting with the new U.S. attorney general and take a new look at it."
Also, Salazar emphasized later in the day that he would pursue a "higher level" of scrutiny of oil companies' doing business with Interior than the previous administration.

Denver Post

Problem is...Obama and Salazar failed to be the new sherriffs in town and failed to provide a "higher level of scrutiny of oil companies than the previous administration."

Obama Failed to Clean up MMS prior to the Oil Spill

Last year the Obama administration granted oil giant BP a special exemption from a legal requirement that it produce a detailed environmental impact study on the possible effects of its Deepwater Horizon drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico, an article Wednesday in the Washington Post reveals.

wsws.org

We are talking about a disaster on Obama's watch and his administration allowed it to happen.

 

[798686]

In 2009, BP listed Peter Lutz as its wlidlife expert in the event of the spill. He had already been deceased for four years at the time of his listing.

That's what I mean. :redface:

 

[Trinity]

That's what I mean. :redface:

Did the Obama Administration have any responsibility to review that and make sure security measures were safe for drilling? Or did the Obama Administration just let BP regulate themselves?

Also, Salazar emphasized later in the day that he would pursue a "higher level" of scrutiny of oil companies' doing business with Interior than the previous administration.

Denver Post

 

[798686]

Did the Obama Administration have any responsibility to review that and make sure security measures were safe for drilling? Or did the Obama Administration just let BP regulate themselves?

You'd think so lol! That's one of the complaints, that it's not totally BP's fault (altho a lot is).

I think regulation was tightened over here following Piper Alpha c.1988. Plus, due possibly to the EU's love of regulating everything to within an inch of its life, lol. Altho they dropped the ball with the banks, oddly...

 

[Trinity]

You'd think so lol! That's one of the complaints, that it's not totally BP's fault (altho a lot is).

Indeed that is a major complaint. While BP holds the responsibility for causing the spill, we can't ignore the fact that the Obama Administration failed to do it's job to regulate them and prevent the disaster. Otherwise why do we regulate?

We are talking about the White House's failure to launch an aggressive effort to clean up the mess it inherited in government agencies from George W. Bush. We have focused primarily on the U.S. Department of Justice. But recent pieces by Joe Klein in Time magazine and Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone show the Obama administration deserves some blame for allowing governmental dysfunction to help lead to environmental disaster in the Gulf Coast.

DailyKos

Obama is not blameless...
/But drilling can be defended only if it is closely managed and regulated, and Obama's Interior Department allowed the MMS to marinate in its own stink for 15 months without overhauling it before disaster struck. It was another bit of evidence that Obama, the candidate of change, had overlooked the most important, if least dramatic, change needed after the Bush Administration's wall-to-wall neglect—a renewed commitment to actual governance after an era when the slick and grease of marketing slogans and political posturing had polluted our national life.

Joe Klein, Time Magazine - Daily Kos

Obama Oil Spill Failure: How The President Failed To Crack Down On MMS, BP http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/111965?RS_show_page=0

 

[cruztbone]

The fact that YOUR party has done its worst to prevent ANY regulation of the oil industry, and that James Watt, sec. of interior under president Reagan, set up the MMS to supposedly "oversee" the industry, simply adds another layer to BP's continuing lies and misleading info given to local leaders in the Gulf , the coast guard and the Obama administration. The culprits are not Obama; it is clearly the oil industry and their Repugnantcan friends in congress.

 

[Trinity]

The fact that YOUR party has done its worst to prevent ANY regulation of the oil industry, and that James Watt, sec. of interior under president Reagan, set up the MMS to supposedly "oversee" the industry, simply adds another layer to BP's continuing lies and misleading info given to local leaders in the Gulf , the coast guard and the Obama administration. The culprits are not Obama; it is clearly the oil industry and their Repugnantcan friends in congress.

You appear to be upset that the DailyKos, Time Magazine, Rollingstone and the Huffington Post are telling the truth: Obama's Administration shares blame for the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster. Obama failed to prevent it from occurring and he could have.

Obama is a culprit in today's Disaster for his own mistakes. Obama can't blame Bush, Reagan or Republicans for his own Administration issuing exclusions and failing to provide proper oversight of the Oil Industry.

I'm a Democrat.

 

[cruztbone]

BP, from the start, has lied to EVERYONE about what it is doing in the Gulf. For you to try to portray it otherwise is laughable. This president, unlike his idiot predecessor, DOES actually believe in , and practice regulation. What that means is, however, a company has to allow itself to tell the truth. BP does not, can not and will not.As to the higher level of scrutiny, one only has to look at the EPA to see how much has changed. The EPA now actually does what its charter says it was designed to do. If you and your friends, Trinity , would stop apologizing for every corporate coverrup and endless greedy adventure, perhaps future BP disasters would be less likely to occur. Get a clue, Trinity!

 

[Trinity]

BP, from the start, has lied to EVERYONE about what it is doing in the Gulf. For you to try to portray it otherwise is laughable.

I didn't try to portray otherwise.

This president, unlike his idiot predecessor, DOES actually believe in , and practice regulation.

All evidence to contrary.

What that means is, however, a company has to allow itself to tell the truth.

No, that means that Obama would have had an MMS department that actually conducted on site inspections - It didn't, doesn't give out exemptions to federal regulations on the regular - It did, doesn't use three year old assessments - It did and doesn't violate it's own rules by failing to get permits- It did.

As to the higher level of scrutiny, one only has to look at the EPA to see how much has changed. The EPA now actually does what its charter says it was designed to do.

But the problem is...Obama's Department of the Interior and MMS were intrusted with the job of enforcement of federal regulations and oversight of drilling and they failed to do their job which allowed this disaster to happen.

If you and your friends, Trinity, would stop apologizing for every corporate coverrup and endless greedy adventure, perhaps future BP disasters would be less likely to occur. Get a clue, Trinity!

I didn't apologize for any corporate cover up and certainly didn't apologize for BP. BP doesn't get a pass and Obama's Interior and MMS doesn't get a pass. Get a clue on that.

 

[asellar]

Obama has oily black hands - just because its British Petroleum doesnt mean Obama and his other oily white hand advisers havent been raking off BP's millions over the years - along with the British MP's by the way - read the PRIVATE EYE this week - many an american lobbyist has been persueding BP to pipe oil around the region where it all went tits up !
...but for Obama to say its all the U.K's fault ....I dont think so - he needs to look closer to home sadly ...!
Obama is still the same old puppet being told what to do by the Bilderberg Group !

 

[Industrialsize]

Obama has oily black hands - just because its British Petroleum doesnt mean Obama and his other oily white hand advisers havent been raking off BP's millions over the years - along with the British MP's by the way - read the PRIVATE EYE this week - many an american lobbyist has been persueding BP to pipe oil around the region where it all went tits up !
...but for Obama to say its all the U.K's fault ....I dont think so - he needs to look closer to home sadly ...!
Obama is still the same old puppet being told what to do by the Bilderberg Group !

President Obama has never blamed the UK for anything.

 

[Trinity]

More evidence of Obama's MMS's cupability to the disaster. Not ony did Obama's Interior Department and MMS do everything it could to allow BP to skate regulation but it went out of its way to stop those who would make the federal regulators and BP adhere to a high level of security:

In 2007, Bush's Interior Department sold BP the affected lease under its 2007 - 2012 Five-Year Offshore Oil Drilling Plan. In April 2009, the Obama administration approved exploratory drilling, after which CBD and its allies won a court order vacating the Bush Five-Year Plan.

Mathaba News

Rather than seek an alternative, Interior Secretary Salazar filed a special motion to exempt approved Gulf sites, identifying BP's as one to exempt despite BP having the worst environmental and safety records of any company operating in America. In July 2009, the court went along with the Government request. – Mathaba News

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yesterday issued an order which advised the Interior Department that the court's April decision -- which vacated Interior's 5-year leasing program (2007-2012) and remanded the matter back to Interior for reconsideration -- applies only to lease offerings in the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi Seas off the Alaska coast. This clarification eases fears held by Interior and others, including Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), that the April decision would derail the upcoming August 19 Gulf of Mexico lease sale, as well as cloud the continuing validity of some 1,800 previously awarded Gulf of Mexico leases.

Offshoreenergylawblog

Salazar failed to reconsider the matter and failed to use readily known information on BP’s security violations to prevent the disaster.
Obama’s Dept of Interior headed by Ken Salazar and MMS are cupable in the disaster for their blantant dereliction of duty.

It's interesting to see how BP was aided in their actions by Obama's administration.

 

[cruztbone]

As Robert Reford correctly pointed out last night on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, the policy to allow BP and other oil companies was

 

[cruztbone]

PLANNED IN SECRET BY DICK CHENEY AND HIS NEVER-REVEALED ENERGY COMMISSION IN 2001. WHICH MET AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THE FULL APPROVAL OF BUSH. Not only did Obama have nothing to do with it, as Redford correctly stated, it is clear that Cheney , for whom his former boss Halliburton is directly involved in this disaster, has been unusually quiet and in hiding since late April. No accident that blood for the 11 dead oil rig workers is on his hands!!!!

 

[Trinity]

PLANNED IN SECRET BY DICK CHENEY AND HIS NEVER-REVEALED ENERGY COMMISSION IN 2001. WHICH MET AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THE FULL APPROVAL OF BUSH. Not only did Obama have nothing to do with it, as Redford correctly stated, it is clear that Cheney , for whom his former boss Halliburton is directly involved in this disaster, has been unusually quiet and in hiding since late April. No accident that blood for the 11 dead oil rig workers is on his hands!!!![/QUOTE]

It is now Obama's MMS and Department of Interior. Obama's MMS failed to conduct proper inspections, used old assessments to exempt BP from federal regulations and when an environmental agency filed a lawsuit to stop the gulf drilling over safety concerns, Obama's MMS went to court to exempt gulf rigs including BP rather than conducting inspections, new assessments and holding BP and others to the federal safety regulations.

 

[faceking]

clearly, once again, president obama demonstrated that he is in charge and action has been ongoing for weeks. He was confident, in command of the facts, and set out a reasonable plan to fight this onslaught by bp.
and it is clearly time for the senate to pass obama's energy bill. The president was absolutely correct about the fact that oil is a finite and dangerous energy source. I urge all of you to contact you senators to urge the energy bil be passed.
it is also time to nationalize oil companies who are headquartered in the u.s. Their greed, stupidity and calumny were all too apparent in their testimony to the house today.

day 70 and just now allows for intl help. Fucking asshole.

 

[unabear09]

day 70 and just now allows for intl help. Fucking asshole.

I know you didn't fucking just call him an asshole! You are the asshole. As president, G.W. Bush REFUSED International aid post hurricane Katrina

 

[dreamer20]

Palin's ...comments were made to deflect from and avoid the question put to her ,which was "How would she solve the problem of the leak" - a question which had her completely stumped. The "oil volcano" is the primary problem which must be addressed, as the only way to stop the horrendous environmental damage it is causing is by capping its flow.

The Dutch offered their expertise.

Zerohedge.com

Stop the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

In scientific terms, their solution was essentially the same as plans BP was already operating on from other engineering sources, which failed for the same reason the Dutch plan would have failed; Hydrates form at this sort of depth as the oil inevitably mixes with water, and block the flow... and there is no way to cut off the broken riser with robots and form a good seal with a new riser to prevent the oil and water from mixing before rising up the pipe to the surface. Remember, this oil and gas is coming out at 2300-2600psi.

So, when people with a personal and/or ideological agenda post stuff on the internet and pretend they know what they are talking about, and act like BP or the US govt ignored ideas that had a better chance of stopping the leak than the options that were tried, you can rest assured that they don't know what they are talking about.

talltpaguy is correct. The Dutch method, proposed by Trinity in post #23, completely ignores the broken well head which is spewing out oil and gas at extreme pressures. The broken well head must be securely sealed to achieve the objective of stopping the oil and gas leak.


DK Matai: Gulf Oil Gusher: Danger of Tsunamis From Methane?


"The intractable problem is that this methane, located deep in the bowels of the earth, is under tremendous pressure. Experts agree that the pressure that blows the oil into the Gulf waters is estimated to be between 30,000 and 70,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Some speculate that the pressure of the methane at the base of the well head, deep under the ocean floor, may be as high as 100,000 psi -- far too much for current technology to contain. The shutoff valves and safety measures were only built for thousands of psi at best. There is no known device to cap a well with such an ultra high pressure. "