Today we got news that the "static kill" was going well and BP felt that the well was finally stopped. Hopefully that is true. We could use some good news on this. However, no sooner did they say that, then the administration and BP forwarded a lie that equals "the check is in the mail," for audacity and obvious nonsense.
A couple of days ago, revised numbers put the amount of oil spilled from this disaster at just under 5 million barrels or right around 200 million gallons. This tops all previous estimates and makes this the largest marine oil spill ever anywhere. Add to that the 2 million gallons of dispersant and you have the largest environmental mess ever made.
Since this sounds really bad and takes away from Obama's "mission accomplished" moment when the well is finally plugged, the administration and their pals at BP needed some way to make it sound better. Since logic denies them this, they went with the next best thing - magic. Today, Obama point man Thad Allen happily announced that 76 percent of the spilled oil is simply gone. Vanished. Some was collected, some was burned, some skimmed. That part comes to under a million gallons or roughly 20 percent.
The rest? Around 50 percent of the spilled oil? Magically vanished. A combination of evaporation, dispersal and the mystic ability of the Gulf of Mexico to simply make oil go away. To be fair, the Gulf does have some life forms that can consume the oil. But they typically can consume less than 100,000 barrels per year. That is less than 2 days of this spill. On the evaporation thing, oil does not completely evaporate. It breaks down into several fairly toxic substances including tar. But it does not disappear. On the dispersal claim, that is just stupid. Dispersal means the oil is spread out over a greater area. Not less oil - more area.
But the administration, forever worried about PR and such, had none other than Carole Browner out today telling us that 76 percent of the oil had simply gone away. Thad Allen continues to refer to his aerial surveys. The White House and BP would have us believe that over half of the oil that leaked is just gone. Vanished. Consumed. Whatever. They want us to simply accept that it is gone.
This is with virtually no real science. In fact, real scientists at actual universities keep pointing out that there really is no precedent for this much oil and dispersant. Real researchers keep reporting elevated levels of oil in the water miles away and thousands of feet deep. And that is exactly what BP, Thad Allen and the rest of the administration and Congress wanted in the first place.
The problem to be invisible. Not gone. Not solved. Not dealt with. Just harder to see. And less photogenic. Has anyone noticed that the images from a mile below the surface pretty much disappeared from the news? That we no longer get a report of where the oil is or might be going? We no longer get a look at the damage in Plaquemines Parish where the worst of it is. Why?
Well, the administration and BP from the start wanted the oil kept off the surface. BP announced that almost immediately. Then we had the sham of the EPA order stopping the dispersant. Thad Allen and BP said no. EPA immediately backed down. When has that ever happened? When has EPA ever just backed down? This left it up to Obama's hand picked National Incident Commander Thad Allen, who was yielding to BP across the board.
So the 2 million gallons of dispersant was pumped onto and into the Gulf of Mexico with the explicit purpose of keeping the oil off the surface. BP said this. Thad Allen said this. For some reason, the same media that questions the cost of a wedding didn't notice that the oil was being hidden - right in front of them. And it obviously worked.
This is important to Team Obama. They were very slow to react to the situation when it happened and slow to really grasp the magnitude of it. They put everything through the bureaucracy, slowing it down even more. Congress is STILL working on reacting with something other than hearings. Overall, the government needs to show a rapid "mission accomplished" to try to overcome the failure to properly react initially.
So Obama gets his "mission accomplished" moment. The well appears to be finally stopped. They are still going to do the relief wells and such, but the oil seems to be finally and permanently stopped. But the oil that leaked is still mostly in the water - just hard to see. Thus they can announce that the oil had gone away on its own. And then they can run away as fast as they can. Just like the last time a president proclaimed mission accomplished when the original mission was not accomplished.
If you don't want to believe me, that is fine. Just ask any Gulf fisherman or resort owner. Ask the people whose lives this disaster destroyed. They'll tell you. Ask them - if you dare.
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
Showing posts with label Thad Allen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thad Allen. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Static Lies
Sometime in the next 24 hours, BP - with the rubber stamp approval of Obama point man Thad Allen - will begin pumping drilling mud and eventually concrete into the top of the Macondo well. They will pump it through the already weakened and questionable blowout preventer that is part of the initial problem. And they will, at that point, have prevented any objective or scientific measure of the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico while managing to get away with pumping almost 2 million gallons of toxic chemicals into the Gulf alongside the estimated 150 million gallons of oil.
I am talking about the dispersants...again. This has been a theme on this blog for literally months. Suddenly, everyone wants to know about the dispersant. Congress is asking, the press is asking and Thad Allen is lying. He is doing his best to protect both the inept fools at BP who cooked up this chemistry experiment and the inept fools in the administration who allowed it.
Back on day three of this disaster, the Obama EPA ordered BP to stop using the dispersant. BP and their pal Thad Allen said no. EPA put a limit on the amount. Thad Allen's answer? Waive the limit repeatedly. Repeatedly as in 74 times in 48 days. And then ignore BP's violation of the waiver limit. Oh, he also managed to completely ignore the simple fact that the dispersant is designed for surface use and not the massive undersea application employed by BP.
According to Thad Allen, the goal of reducing the dispersant was "generally met." What? Generally met? As in ignored? As in disregarded? As in laughed at? Allen was supposed to be on our side in this mess, not BP's. Yet there he was this weekend, defending BP up and down the line.
Remember, BP's stated goal for the undersea dispersant use was to keep the oil from reaching the surface. It must have worked, since Thad Allen's measure of any success is to fly over the area and look for oil. Since the majority of the oil remains hidden below the surface, this means Allen can look out his airplane window and feel good about no surface oil.
He continues to deny any problem with oil beneath the surface and now forwards BP's newest lie - the magical ability of the Gulf to eliminate the oil by itself. This little fantasy is based on the Gulf's known ability to deal with tiny amounts of oil. perhaps a hundred barrels a month from tiny seeps in the sea floor. Not massive amounts measured in the tens of thousands of barrels per day.
But good old Thad, just like his boss Obama, prefers the simplistic attitude of "see no oil, have no oil." And that is his measure for success. They have managed to cover it up with toxic chemicals and screaming falsehoods. In fact, it is a lot like the way the Obama pre-failed economic team works. Just pretend it is getting better and it will. Much like the economy, they claim success in the Gulf based on a quick, superficial glance. Nothing on the surface today, must be good.
Yet, on the same days that Thad Allen does his "observational analysis," people on boats have no problem finding thick, mousse like oil mixed with dispersant on the surface. It is still exactly where it was 2 months ago and shows no signs of abating. Now Allen and new BP CEO Bob Dudley want to scale back the cleanup efforts based on - wait for it - Thad Allen's surface observations.
Well, if Obama wanted his "Mission Accomplished" moment, he has it. He and his appointed failure Thad Allen can now easily accomplish BP's mission and lie to the American people. They can tell us that the well is plugged and there is no oil on the surface. They can tell us that the fish is good to eat when the fishermen won't sell it because they don't trust it. They can tell us that the Gulf of Mexico has magic powers to absorb oil endlessly with no harm. Maybe they will tell us we can fly if we just all think good thoughts.
Why should we believe anything they tell us at this point? The cap was only for a 2 day test, yet it has been there for weeks. The flow of oil into the Gulf has been hidden since day one. There has been zero transparency in the entire mess. Allen was supposed to be working for us, but he has yielded to BP at every turn. When they lied, Thad made excuses. Same as Geithner and Goldman Sachs. Another administration appointee working for someone other than us.
Write this down. As soon as Allen and BP can confirm that the well is plugged, they are gone. Out of there. The administration, the media and BP will move on leaving the folks that live there to sort it out.
God help them because this government and BP won't.
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
I am talking about the dispersants...again. This has been a theme on this blog for literally months. Suddenly, everyone wants to know about the dispersant. Congress is asking, the press is asking and Thad Allen is lying. He is doing his best to protect both the inept fools at BP who cooked up this chemistry experiment and the inept fools in the administration who allowed it.
Back on day three of this disaster, the Obama EPA ordered BP to stop using the dispersant. BP and their pal Thad Allen said no. EPA put a limit on the amount. Thad Allen's answer? Waive the limit repeatedly. Repeatedly as in 74 times in 48 days. And then ignore BP's violation of the waiver limit. Oh, he also managed to completely ignore the simple fact that the dispersant is designed for surface use and not the massive undersea application employed by BP.
According to Thad Allen, the goal of reducing the dispersant was "generally met." What? Generally met? As in ignored? As in disregarded? As in laughed at? Allen was supposed to be on our side in this mess, not BP's. Yet there he was this weekend, defending BP up and down the line.
Remember, BP's stated goal for the undersea dispersant use was to keep the oil from reaching the surface. It must have worked, since Thad Allen's measure of any success is to fly over the area and look for oil. Since the majority of the oil remains hidden below the surface, this means Allen can look out his airplane window and feel good about no surface oil.
He continues to deny any problem with oil beneath the surface and now forwards BP's newest lie - the magical ability of the Gulf to eliminate the oil by itself. This little fantasy is based on the Gulf's known ability to deal with tiny amounts of oil. perhaps a hundred barrels a month from tiny seeps in the sea floor. Not massive amounts measured in the tens of thousands of barrels per day.
But good old Thad, just like his boss Obama, prefers the simplistic attitude of "see no oil, have no oil." And that is his measure for success. They have managed to cover it up with toxic chemicals and screaming falsehoods. In fact, it is a lot like the way the Obama pre-failed economic team works. Just pretend it is getting better and it will. Much like the economy, they claim success in the Gulf based on a quick, superficial glance. Nothing on the surface today, must be good.
Yet, on the same days that Thad Allen does his "observational analysis," people on boats have no problem finding thick, mousse like oil mixed with dispersant on the surface. It is still exactly where it was 2 months ago and shows no signs of abating. Now Allen and new BP CEO Bob Dudley want to scale back the cleanup efforts based on - wait for it - Thad Allen's surface observations.
Well, if Obama wanted his "Mission Accomplished" moment, he has it. He and his appointed failure Thad Allen can now easily accomplish BP's mission and lie to the American people. They can tell us that the well is plugged and there is no oil on the surface. They can tell us that the fish is good to eat when the fishermen won't sell it because they don't trust it. They can tell us that the Gulf of Mexico has magic powers to absorb oil endlessly with no harm. Maybe they will tell us we can fly if we just all think good thoughts.
Why should we believe anything they tell us at this point? The cap was only for a 2 day test, yet it has been there for weeks. The flow of oil into the Gulf has been hidden since day one. There has been zero transparency in the entire mess. Allen was supposed to be working for us, but he has yielded to BP at every turn. When they lied, Thad made excuses. Same as Geithner and Goldman Sachs. Another administration appointee working for someone other than us.
Write this down. As soon as Allen and BP can confirm that the well is plugged, they are gone. Out of there. The administration, the media and BP will move on leaving the folks that live there to sort it out.
God help them because this government and BP won't.
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
On the Surface..
Sometime early next week, BP will begin pumping mud down into the well in the Gulf of Mexico. This is supposedly intended to help plug the hole once and for all in conjunction wit the relief wells being drilled. This operation is dubiously named "static kill." I suspect the intent is to kill any potential of getting an accurate measurement of the oil that has already flowed into the gulf and thus mitigating the fine.
As a quick aside, for some inexplicable reason the relief wells were renamed relief tunnels last week. This makes little or no sense. They are mot tunnels. They are wells. I guess to some PR flack working for BP or Thad Allen, tunnels sounded cooler.
While the preparations for "static kill" are ongoing, retired admiral Thad Allen proudly declared that there is little oil on the surface as if that was the end of the problem. Of course, he fails to mention that he authorized the use of epic amounts of toxic chemicals to keep the oil from rising to the surface in the first place. Just like his new pals at BP, he was all about the imagery and not the reality.
In case anyone has forgotten, the stated reason for the use of over 2 million gallons of dispersant underwater was to keep the oil from the surface. And the only reason to do that was to prevent the images of millions of gallons of oil hitting every beach in the Gulf region. It was never about keeping the oil out of the ecosystem.
Last week, when Tropical Storm Bonnie was approaching, the ever inaccurate Jim Cantore at the Weather Channel came up with the analogy that the wave action created by the storm would have the same effect on the oil as shaking a bottle of vinaigrette. The oil emulsifies with the rest of the ingredients. Up to that point, Cantore was actually right. However, he then implied, as does Thad Allen, that the oil then magically disappears. It does not. Taking Cantore's bottle of salad dressing analogy, the oil is still there. It ends up on your salad.
The same applies to the Gulf. The oil is still there, no matter how badly Thad Allen and his real masters at BP want us to think otherwise. No matter how much the administration wishes, the oil will not simply go away just because we cannot see it. In fact, it is a bigger problem because we cannot see it and cannot collect it like we can surface oil.
That was BP's plan all along. Hide the oil. Hide the true depth of this disaster. Avoid the ugly photos and avoid paying for the damage they have really done. By keeping the oil hidden, they can create the illusion that the crisis is over once they plug the well. And the Obama team of failed bureaucrats led by Thad Allen can declare victory and run home.
Ask any Gulf fisherman. He will tell you that the problem is in the water and on the bottom. Yes, some of the toxic compounds in the oil dissipate and yes, some biological entities eat some of the oil. But none of that accounts for the level of toxic dispersant or the sheer volume of oil present in the water column. That same fisherman will tell you that he is concerned about next year's catch, if there is to be any. He is worried about the edibility of that catch, given the chemistry experiment that BP conducted in the Gulf with Obama's permission.
Plugging the hole is not the beginning of the end as so many media types are fond of saying. It is barely the end of the beginning. It will be years before the mess is cleared. Years for the Gulf to recover form the reckless and unchecked chemical pollution intentionally added. Years for the mess that the administration authorized to be cleaned up. EPA allowed the dispersant at Allen's insistence. NOAA continues to hedge on the amount or concentration of oil and dispersant. Obama's team continues to go with quick visuals during overflights of the are and BP is happy to go with all of that.
Here is an easy way to know it is bad - if BP and Thad Allen like it, it is probably bad for everyone else. This has been the way through this entire disaster. BP acts in its own interests and Thad Allen, on behalf of Obama, endorses it. Every time.
Once that well is plugged, they are all going home. Allen, BP, the media. All of them. And those who depend on the Gulf for a living will just have to figure it out. Because destroyed lives don't make good video and ruined family businesses don't make for dramatic headlines.
This will be Obama's "Mission Accomplished" moment. He will declare victory while the enemy - in this case the oil - remains out there. His administration and the rest of our government will walk away feeling good. Sadly, the folks that live there will still be fighting and pushing. They will know that the mission is barely started.
Get that "Mission Accomplished" banner ready now. It will make a much better visual than the truth.
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
As a quick aside, for some inexplicable reason the relief wells were renamed relief tunnels last week. This makes little or no sense. They are mot tunnels. They are wells. I guess to some PR flack working for BP or Thad Allen, tunnels sounded cooler.
While the preparations for "static kill" are ongoing, retired admiral Thad Allen proudly declared that there is little oil on the surface as if that was the end of the problem. Of course, he fails to mention that he authorized the use of epic amounts of toxic chemicals to keep the oil from rising to the surface in the first place. Just like his new pals at BP, he was all about the imagery and not the reality.
In case anyone has forgotten, the stated reason for the use of over 2 million gallons of dispersant underwater was to keep the oil from the surface. And the only reason to do that was to prevent the images of millions of gallons of oil hitting every beach in the Gulf region. It was never about keeping the oil out of the ecosystem.
Last week, when Tropical Storm Bonnie was approaching, the ever inaccurate Jim Cantore at the Weather Channel came up with the analogy that the wave action created by the storm would have the same effect on the oil as shaking a bottle of vinaigrette. The oil emulsifies with the rest of the ingredients. Up to that point, Cantore was actually right. However, he then implied, as does Thad Allen, that the oil then magically disappears. It does not. Taking Cantore's bottle of salad dressing analogy, the oil is still there. It ends up on your salad.
The same applies to the Gulf. The oil is still there, no matter how badly Thad Allen and his real masters at BP want us to think otherwise. No matter how much the administration wishes, the oil will not simply go away just because we cannot see it. In fact, it is a bigger problem because we cannot see it and cannot collect it like we can surface oil.
That was BP's plan all along. Hide the oil. Hide the true depth of this disaster. Avoid the ugly photos and avoid paying for the damage they have really done. By keeping the oil hidden, they can create the illusion that the crisis is over once they plug the well. And the Obama team of failed bureaucrats led by Thad Allen can declare victory and run home.
Ask any Gulf fisherman. He will tell you that the problem is in the water and on the bottom. Yes, some of the toxic compounds in the oil dissipate and yes, some biological entities eat some of the oil. But none of that accounts for the level of toxic dispersant or the sheer volume of oil present in the water column. That same fisherman will tell you that he is concerned about next year's catch, if there is to be any. He is worried about the edibility of that catch, given the chemistry experiment that BP conducted in the Gulf with Obama's permission.
Plugging the hole is not the beginning of the end as so many media types are fond of saying. It is barely the end of the beginning. It will be years before the mess is cleared. Years for the Gulf to recover form the reckless and unchecked chemical pollution intentionally added. Years for the mess that the administration authorized to be cleaned up. EPA allowed the dispersant at Allen's insistence. NOAA continues to hedge on the amount or concentration of oil and dispersant. Obama's team continues to go with quick visuals during overflights of the are and BP is happy to go with all of that.
Here is an easy way to know it is bad - if BP and Thad Allen like it, it is probably bad for everyone else. This has been the way through this entire disaster. BP acts in its own interests and Thad Allen, on behalf of Obama, endorses it. Every time.
Once that well is plugged, they are all going home. Allen, BP, the media. All of them. And those who depend on the Gulf for a living will just have to figure it out. Because destroyed lives don't make good video and ruined family businesses don't make for dramatic headlines.
This will be Obama's "Mission Accomplished" moment. He will declare victory while the enemy - in this case the oil - remains out there. His administration and the rest of our government will walk away feeling good. Sadly, the folks that live there will still be fighting and pushing. They will know that the mission is barely started.
Get that "Mission Accomplished" banner ready now. It will make a much better visual than the truth.
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Avoiding the Fine
So now BP has a scheme to pump mud into the new cap to stop the oil flow. This after repeated delays in collecting oil via the new cap, which was the original plan. In case everyone - especially administration point man and chief BP toady - Thad Allen forgot, the idea was to get to tighter seal to stop the leakage, but never to stop the oil from being collected. At least that was the fiction BP kept putting out there.
The original plan called for 48 hours of leak testing and then a resumption of bringing the oil to the surface via a maze of new pipes and hoses. That was the plan. Well, we are now almost 7 days into that 48 hours and BP keeps convincing Allen that this was their plan all along. Sadly, Allen keeps going along with whatever lies they tell him. Seems the former admiral is just like his boss in the White House - lacking in any kind of spine to stand up to anyone about anything.
While Allen keeps extending the time they can pretend the well is sealed, BP is quietly moving in ships to collect 80,000 barrels per day if they have to. That is 20,000 more per day than the highest bogus estimate. And estimates are all we have since BP - with Allen's tacit endorsement - continues to refuse to allow any type of empirical measurement of the oil flow. Thus the plan to pump mud into the new cap.
Before I get into the why, let me say that this cap does not seal the well. There are leaks. Allen describes them as drips. He calls them insignificant. Well, they are significant enough to warrant dispersant. Thad Allen simply reads whatever BP hands him. The oil coming from the floor of the Gulf? Not this well, according to Allen. Actually according to BP as relayed by Thad Allen.
So why is BP so determined to prevent any measurement of the oil flow? Because any fine or penalty will be based on how much oil was spilled. The maximum fine is $4,300 per barrel if gross negligence is proven, and it does look like BP was amazingly negligent. As long as there are just estimates based on video and partial collection, then BP can fight any fine in court until the dinosaurs return. Without an empirical measurement, the fine is negotiable and subject to challenge.
It is not like the government has not ordered BP repeatedly to put instruments down there to measure the spill. They have. Multiple times. But Thad Allen has repeatedly let them off the hook. He has claimed that there is too much submersible traffic around the well, that it would slow the work of closing the well and so on. All of which are pure nonsense. BP knows exactly how much oil is coming out of that well. They knew on day one and they know today. The new cap actually has measurements for that. But Thad Allen is not interested in enforcing the orders of the government he pretends to work for.
In fact he has allowed BP to dictate this process all the way. Remember his promise of transparency? Never happened. Remember how he promised to get the flow rate measured. Never happened. And on and on. It was Thad Allen that green lighted the dispersant despite the EPA's order banning it. And it has been Thad Allen that has extended the "testing period" for the new cap repeatedly. In 24 hour increments.
If Allen had stuck to his word and forced BP to start collecting the oil, we would now know exactly how much oil was running hourly or daily. But BP does not want that to ever be known. To them that is the big secret and the big cover up. That flow rate number is their worst fear since it will determine the multi-billion dollar fine.
I thought Thad Allen was supposed to work for us. Obama put him there to represent the government. He is supposed to make sure that BP is following the rules. Instead, Obama and Allen allow BP to make the rules. And break them when it is convenient. Allen refers to him and BP as "us" and "we" but never them. He does not have our best interests at heart any more than any of BP's executives do.
In this regard, Thad Allen has failed. Just like the blowout preventer failed on the well itself. The very thing meant to protect us has turned out to be the very thing that is doing the damage. Another in a growing line of failed Obama appointees allowed to keep failing. And another that seems to think transparency is synonymous with secrecy.
When history writes this sad chapter, it will be called, "When government fails and people suffer."
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
The original plan called for 48 hours of leak testing and then a resumption of bringing the oil to the surface via a maze of new pipes and hoses. That was the plan. Well, we are now almost 7 days into that 48 hours and BP keeps convincing Allen that this was their plan all along. Sadly, Allen keeps going along with whatever lies they tell him. Seems the former admiral is just like his boss in the White House - lacking in any kind of spine to stand up to anyone about anything.
While Allen keeps extending the time they can pretend the well is sealed, BP is quietly moving in ships to collect 80,000 barrels per day if they have to. That is 20,000 more per day than the highest bogus estimate. And estimates are all we have since BP - with Allen's tacit endorsement - continues to refuse to allow any type of empirical measurement of the oil flow. Thus the plan to pump mud into the new cap.
Before I get into the why, let me say that this cap does not seal the well. There are leaks. Allen describes them as drips. He calls them insignificant. Well, they are significant enough to warrant dispersant. Thad Allen simply reads whatever BP hands him. The oil coming from the floor of the Gulf? Not this well, according to Allen. Actually according to BP as relayed by Thad Allen.
So why is BP so determined to prevent any measurement of the oil flow? Because any fine or penalty will be based on how much oil was spilled. The maximum fine is $4,300 per barrel if gross negligence is proven, and it does look like BP was amazingly negligent. As long as there are just estimates based on video and partial collection, then BP can fight any fine in court until the dinosaurs return. Without an empirical measurement, the fine is negotiable and subject to challenge.
It is not like the government has not ordered BP repeatedly to put instruments down there to measure the spill. They have. Multiple times. But Thad Allen has repeatedly let them off the hook. He has claimed that there is too much submersible traffic around the well, that it would slow the work of closing the well and so on. All of which are pure nonsense. BP knows exactly how much oil is coming out of that well. They knew on day one and they know today. The new cap actually has measurements for that. But Thad Allen is not interested in enforcing the orders of the government he pretends to work for.
In fact he has allowed BP to dictate this process all the way. Remember his promise of transparency? Never happened. Remember how he promised to get the flow rate measured. Never happened. And on and on. It was Thad Allen that green lighted the dispersant despite the EPA's order banning it. And it has been Thad Allen that has extended the "testing period" for the new cap repeatedly. In 24 hour increments.
If Allen had stuck to his word and forced BP to start collecting the oil, we would now know exactly how much oil was running hourly or daily. But BP does not want that to ever be known. To them that is the big secret and the big cover up. That flow rate number is their worst fear since it will determine the multi-billion dollar fine.
I thought Thad Allen was supposed to work for us. Obama put him there to represent the government. He is supposed to make sure that BP is following the rules. Instead, Obama and Allen allow BP to make the rules. And break them when it is convenient. Allen refers to him and BP as "us" and "we" but never them. He does not have our best interests at heart any more than any of BP's executives do.
In this regard, Thad Allen has failed. Just like the blowout preventer failed on the well itself. The very thing meant to protect us has turned out to be the very thing that is doing the damage. Another in a growing line of failed Obama appointees allowed to keep failing. And another that seems to think transparency is synonymous with secrecy.
When history writes this sad chapter, it will be called, "When government fails and people suffer."
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Oil By Any Other Name
This weekend brought reports that "tarballs" had shown up on Texas beaches. Tarballs. In other words, oil from the BP spill reached all the way to Texas. But the government and the media won't call it oil.
They use softer words: sheen, mousse, tarballs, patches, residue. All instead of the ominous and accurate "oil slick." Why would they do that? Well, the media generally takes its cues from the government and in this case, the government takes it cues from BP.
Look at the Texas case. As soon as reports of oil in Galveston had been made, the National Incident Commander, retired Coast Guard Commander Thad Allen, had his people issue a statement that the oil could not possible have reached Texas beaches via actual water currents. They claimed that it had to have been carried there by boats. Sure. Right. Boats picked up the oil and moved it to Texas. Not the Gulf currents. Not the still unmeasured oil gushing into the Gulf. Boats.
What does that statement tell us? It tells us that Thad Allen still takes his daily instructions from BP.
See, the last thing BP wants is another state to deal with. They (and Thad Allen) don't want the mess to get worse. The government is committed to putting a happy face on it. So not only won't they call it oil, but they also come up with these tortured theories to deny that the oil is spreading quickly and - thanks to the government's inability to stop the dispersant - invisibly underwater.
So they cal it all kinds of names. In Pensacola, the slick just offshore is called a "sheen." Really? In Alabama, it is called "patches of residue." Really? Off the Mississippi coast, it is called "mousse," and "emulsified oil." Seriously?
All of those are softer terms, dreamed up by some PR staff. It is more of the linguistic torment we face daily as our government continues to try to deceive us. The same government/Congress that calls pork barrel spending "an investment."
All of this is born and nurtured in the depths of the entrenched bureaucracy. The same bureaucracy that has existed for multiple administrations. The same folks that can't seem to process a simple claim in a timely manner and require a pile of forms just to get the form needed.
Want more examples of how the bureaucracy has made the oil spill worse than it needed to be?
Right off the top, there is that new oil collecting ship, the "A Whale," in the Gulf. It is a retrofitted tanker designed to collect upwards of 250,000 barrels of oil off the water per day. But it is not collecting anything. Seems that, even though it is fully tested and certified, Coast Guard and EPA are requiring more testing. Testing that requires smooth seas. And smooth seas have not been seen on over a week. So the ship sites relatively idle while petty bureaucrats generate paperwork and otherwise waste time and resources.
More?
Three weeks ago, several oil collecting barges that had been Coast Guard approved were pulled out of service by the Coast Guard so that they could count life vests. You read that right. Oil was not collected so some pathetic bureaucrat could check a box on a from. And when then Admiral Allen was asked, he said he was looking into it.
Looking into it? As I recall, Allen was an admiral. He had the power to put those barges back on the water. Did he? Nope. He deferred to the bureaucracy. As he did with the barrier island project and the oil vacuums and every other item that has come along. It all goes to the bureaucracy. And the bureaucracy has zero interest in moving quickly or efficiently.
Why don't we yet have an accurate measure of the oil flow? Allen has asked BP to put measuring devices down there. Asked - not ordered. Obama formed a group of scientists to estimate the flow rate and they are begging for these instruments to be in place. BP cannot or will not put them there. And Allen says we cannot just do it ourselves. Apparently, in his and Obama's minds, "Commander," actually means requester.
Obviously BP does not want an accurate measure. They will have to pay a fine based on that number. Thus the endless delay of collecting any oil except by BP and their leaky system. And the bureaucracy loves delay.
NOAA spent weeks denying the existence of underwater oil. In fact, it was only a week ago that they admitted it. Why? Because the scientists that kept finding it were not approved to do that research. Then they set the insane standard of "collectible oil." Huh? Is that like collectible mercury? Just how much is collectible? Enough to kill fish or enough to fill a barrel? Well, the bureaucracy at NOAA was not interested in an actual standard.
EPA still has not enforced any standard on dispersant. Even though they ordered it stopped and then limited. Now they say the dispersant dissolves in water. Well, duh! That is on the manufacturer's data sheet. The same data sheet that says this stuff is poison. EPA is testing. Translation - the EPA bureaucrats are avoiding the matter, but spending a lot of time and money doing so.
Volunteers for beach clean up are being turned away by the bureaucrats because they are not certified. Apparently it is OK for them to live with the oil and breathe the fumes without any certifications, but they cannot clean their own beaches without government approval. OSHA bureaucrats are demanding masks and suits for clean up workers, but no such protection for residents who live with it all day every day.
Similarly volunteers for animal rescue are turned away. Again, the bureaucracy wins over expediency. And again, the National Incident Commander defers to the paperwork.
I thought Obama put Allen there to cut through the red tape. Seems not. And why should he? Obama consistently defers to the bureaucracy. Procedure over substance. Perhaps that should be the slogan of this administration. It seems that every single action needed is submitted to the bureaucracy. If you ask me, this president doesn't seem to understand that he can eliminate all of that with a phone call. And he obviously has not given Thad Allen any real authority. Just a cool title and a paycheck. Oh, and of course a bureaucracy of his own.
The endless creaton of newer, softer words for "oil slick," is just another function of Thad Allen and Obama's bureaucracy. An attempt to lessen the need to act quickly and the severity of the problem. It is the application of politically correct linguistics to a disaster that will affect generations. And it is wrong.
This administration should be ashamed of itself. Setting aside all of the other problems and issues, the Gulf Oil Disaster is the measure by which they will be judged. It is this president's major crisis and this president's major failure.
When the final chapters of this disaster are written, the report should be entitled, "Red Tape You Can Believe In."
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
They use softer words: sheen, mousse, tarballs, patches, residue. All instead of the ominous and accurate "oil slick." Why would they do that? Well, the media generally takes its cues from the government and in this case, the government takes it cues from BP.
Look at the Texas case. As soon as reports of oil in Galveston had been made, the National Incident Commander, retired Coast Guard Commander Thad Allen, had his people issue a statement that the oil could not possible have reached Texas beaches via actual water currents. They claimed that it had to have been carried there by boats. Sure. Right. Boats picked up the oil and moved it to Texas. Not the Gulf currents. Not the still unmeasured oil gushing into the Gulf. Boats.
What does that statement tell us? It tells us that Thad Allen still takes his daily instructions from BP.
See, the last thing BP wants is another state to deal with. They (and Thad Allen) don't want the mess to get worse. The government is committed to putting a happy face on it. So not only won't they call it oil, but they also come up with these tortured theories to deny that the oil is spreading quickly and - thanks to the government's inability to stop the dispersant - invisibly underwater.
So they cal it all kinds of names. In Pensacola, the slick just offshore is called a "sheen." Really? In Alabama, it is called "patches of residue." Really? Off the Mississippi coast, it is called "mousse," and "emulsified oil." Seriously?
All of those are softer terms, dreamed up by some PR staff. It is more of the linguistic torment we face daily as our government continues to try to deceive us. The same government/Congress that calls pork barrel spending "an investment."
All of this is born and nurtured in the depths of the entrenched bureaucracy. The same bureaucracy that has existed for multiple administrations. The same folks that can't seem to process a simple claim in a timely manner and require a pile of forms just to get the form needed.
Want more examples of how the bureaucracy has made the oil spill worse than it needed to be?
Right off the top, there is that new oil collecting ship, the "A Whale," in the Gulf. It is a retrofitted tanker designed to collect upwards of 250,000 barrels of oil off the water per day. But it is not collecting anything. Seems that, even though it is fully tested and certified, Coast Guard and EPA are requiring more testing. Testing that requires smooth seas. And smooth seas have not been seen on over a week. So the ship sites relatively idle while petty bureaucrats generate paperwork and otherwise waste time and resources.
More?
Three weeks ago, several oil collecting barges that had been Coast Guard approved were pulled out of service by the Coast Guard so that they could count life vests. You read that right. Oil was not collected so some pathetic bureaucrat could check a box on a from. And when then Admiral Allen was asked, he said he was looking into it.
Looking into it? As I recall, Allen was an admiral. He had the power to put those barges back on the water. Did he? Nope. He deferred to the bureaucracy. As he did with the barrier island project and the oil vacuums and every other item that has come along. It all goes to the bureaucracy. And the bureaucracy has zero interest in moving quickly or efficiently.
Why don't we yet have an accurate measure of the oil flow? Allen has asked BP to put measuring devices down there. Asked - not ordered. Obama formed a group of scientists to estimate the flow rate and they are begging for these instruments to be in place. BP cannot or will not put them there. And Allen says we cannot just do it ourselves. Apparently, in his and Obama's minds, "Commander," actually means requester.
Obviously BP does not want an accurate measure. They will have to pay a fine based on that number. Thus the endless delay of collecting any oil except by BP and their leaky system. And the bureaucracy loves delay.
NOAA spent weeks denying the existence of underwater oil. In fact, it was only a week ago that they admitted it. Why? Because the scientists that kept finding it were not approved to do that research. Then they set the insane standard of "collectible oil." Huh? Is that like collectible mercury? Just how much is collectible? Enough to kill fish or enough to fill a barrel? Well, the bureaucracy at NOAA was not interested in an actual standard.
EPA still has not enforced any standard on dispersant. Even though they ordered it stopped and then limited. Now they say the dispersant dissolves in water. Well, duh! That is on the manufacturer's data sheet. The same data sheet that says this stuff is poison. EPA is testing. Translation - the EPA bureaucrats are avoiding the matter, but spending a lot of time and money doing so.
Volunteers for beach clean up are being turned away by the bureaucrats because they are not certified. Apparently it is OK for them to live with the oil and breathe the fumes without any certifications, but they cannot clean their own beaches without government approval. OSHA bureaucrats are demanding masks and suits for clean up workers, but no such protection for residents who live with it all day every day.
Similarly volunteers for animal rescue are turned away. Again, the bureaucracy wins over expediency. And again, the National Incident Commander defers to the paperwork.
I thought Obama put Allen there to cut through the red tape. Seems not. And why should he? Obama consistently defers to the bureaucracy. Procedure over substance. Perhaps that should be the slogan of this administration. It seems that every single action needed is submitted to the bureaucracy. If you ask me, this president doesn't seem to understand that he can eliminate all of that with a phone call. And he obviously has not given Thad Allen any real authority. Just a cool title and a paycheck. Oh, and of course a bureaucracy of his own.
The endless creaton of newer, softer words for "oil slick," is just another function of Thad Allen and Obama's bureaucracy. An attempt to lessen the need to act quickly and the severity of the problem. It is the application of politically correct linguistics to a disaster that will affect generations. And it is wrong.
This administration should be ashamed of itself. Setting aside all of the other problems and issues, the Gulf Oil Disaster is the measure by which they will be judged. It is this president's major crisis and this president's major failure.
When the final chapters of this disaster are written, the report should be entitled, "Red Tape You Can Believe In."
I am offering shirts with this design and will be sending the profits directly to the Plaquemines Parish Fund that is set up to help the folks most hurt by this mess.
I spoke to the good folks at Plaquemines and I have to say that for people living a horror show, they are some of the nicest and most grateful people you would ever want to talk to.
Please help out and get the message out at the same time.
You can order them here: http://www.itisnotagame.spreadshirt.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)