I can’t believe it was early last year (April 20th 2010) when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, allowing crude oil to taint the Gulf for 87 days following the incident. Several men and women perished that day, leaving behind beloved families and children.
The final investigation has been released this week, calling to question the safety protocols blatantly neglected by the Deepwater Horizon’s owner – Transocean, BP and Halliburton.
Here are just a few of the sickening results uncovered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and U.S. Coast Guard Joint Investigation Team (JIT):
- The U.S. government has committed to submitting sanctions against these companies in light of the panel’s findings
- BP violated seven regulations
- Transocean violated three regulations
- Halliburton’s subsidiary – Sperry Sun – violated three regulations
- According to the panel, these companies neglected the necessary, mandated protocols to avoid “unreasonable risk to public health, life, property, aquatic life… or other uses of the ocean”
If you want to learn more about one of our nation’s worst natural disasters, I’m currently reading and would highly recommend Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit. Acclaimed Houston Chronicle journalist, Loren Steffy, recounts BP’s history and rise to its current status as a global multi-billion dollar machine; he unveils how the former CEO’s management approach led to not only the oil spill in the gulf, but several preceding warnings including a preventable burst pipeline in the Arctic and a refinery explosion in Texas City in 2005, killing 15 and injuring almost 200.
Loren discovers the main culprits to these and other negligent behavior committed by BP continue to arise because of delayed maintenance; deferred upgrades; and budget cuts.
Comparing this disaster with ethanol or biodiesel production, there will always be small accidents or mishaps when raising crops for sustainable fossil fuel alternatives – accidents happen. Fortunately, family farmers strive to uphold safety and protocol on the farm; when a small accident occurs, they maintain accountability and repair any impact within their communities.