THIS IS WHAT OIL DRILLING IS ALL ABOUT

Deepwater Horizon debacle was no isolated instance caused by rogue operators
David Yarnold, January 12, 2011 (Miami Herald)

"The report released Tuesday on the Deepwater Horizon debacle uses two words the drillers didn't want to hear: systemic failure. Make no mistake: The report says the oil and gas industry is unprepared for disasters like the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster of 2010.

"Despite the deaths of 11 workers, sinking the region's economy and again fouling its own Gulf Coast nest, the industry spent the day spinning the findings as an isolated instance caused by rogue operators. That's an insult to every American, especially the families who suffered in the disaster…[But] we can use BP's fines to restore [the region]…The commission recommends devoting at least 80 percent of BP's guilt money to restoration and that requires an act of Congress…"

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"…[Though the ecosystem] has been shattered by an unfettered energy industry and well-intentioned but terrifically destructive Mississippi River management…the natural buffers, the wetlands and the forests can re-grow. It's just a question of political will and money. The commission says we should bring both to bear, and Congress can make that happen.

"The commission also called for a new generation of robust scientific studies and long-term monitoring efforts…The report is clear; the Interior Department was outgunned by drillers…Regulatory agencies need funding, staff and support to enable development and enforcement of regulatory standards…[T]he Obama administration is considering Shell Oil's proposal to drill in the Beaufort Sea in Alaska next summer, despite the lack of a credible oil spill response plan. This is the definition of insanity: repeat the behavior, hope for a different outcome…"

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"…[I]magine the challenges of cleaning up a large oil spill in severe weather and broken ice conditions in the Arctic Ocean, perhaps during the perpetual darkness of winter…We must heed the clear warning laid out by the commission. It's time for a "timeout" for drilling in America's Arctic Ocean.

"Co-Chairs Sen. Bob Graham and William Reilly and all the members of the Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling have shown a willingness to face hard and unpopular truths…Can this Congress empower the drilling police? Can the oil and gas industry balance lives, nature and profitability? Can the people of the Gulf Coast dare to hope that their fractured landscape can be put back together again? All of that is possible, the commission said…"