Today lawmakers answered POGO's call to investigate the role of the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service's (MMS) in the Transocean Deepwater Horizon disaster.
As more information surrounding the Deepwater disaster becomes available, POGO and others in the press have raised questions about the ability of MMS to conduct oversight of drilling rigs. Of particular concern is that MMS:
- Awarded
Transocean a District Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) in 2009.
Transocean won the award “for the
outstanding manner in which it conducted its drilling operations in
the Lafayette District during the rating period of January 1 through
December 31, 2008.”
- Red-flagged
potential violations of government safety standards in five out of 20
accident investigations it completed at BP offshore operations since
2005, according
to the Houston Chronicle — but only
one incident resulted in a fine.
- Failed
to bolster safety requirements
for a vital piece of drilling safety equipment involved in the
disaster,
shear rams, after a 2004 study questioned whether the equipment would
function in deep-water seas. The
study was
conducted
by WEST Engineering Services at the request of MMS.
- Caved
to industry pressure to not pursue oil, gas, and coal royalties
owed
to taxpayers under then-MMS Director
Johnnie Burton.
- Failed
to
adequately
inspect federal leases, according to the Government Accountability
Office.
- Has a systemic
revolving
door problem.
Most
recently, former MMS Director Randall Luthi has become president of
the National Oceans Industries Association (NOIA), whose mission is
“to secure reliable access and
a favorable regulatory and economic environment for the companies that
develop the nation's valuable offshore energy resources in an
environmentally
responsible manner.” Luthi succeeded Tom Fry, another former MMS
Director, as the president of NOIA.
- Was slow to develop
better practices for “cementing,” or installing casing to secure
the walls of a well. In 2006, MMS determined that the percentage of well
blowouts due
to cementing was
on the rise. The agency began to work with the American Petroleum
Institute
to develop new standards for cementing practices, but has
not completed its
work on the standards after four
years. Workers on the Deepwater Horizon rig were conducting cementing
procedures at the time of the accident.
As POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian noted in a statement today, "Taxpayers shouldn’t let Interior off the hook for this. Everyone knows that MMS’s coziness with industry resulted in the loss of billions of taxpayer dollars, but now we are seeing the even bigger impact of their lax regulation.”
POGO has been impressed by the government’s response to the disaster and hopes that this will begin a trend of improved oversight of taxpayers’ natural resources.
-- Mandy Smithberger and Bryan Rahija
You can find out more background on this issue over at our natural resources investigation page. See also:
Minerals Management Service has a direct responsibility for analyzing and protecting United States offshore environments, the ecosystem, land usage and authorizing for oil drilling sites off the American Oceanic Continental Sea Shelves.
It has a duty, I feel, to assure us, U.S. Department of Interior, @/through Minerals Management Service, top paid US Geologists --- that such authorized drill sites, are safe. I suspect frankly, they have an obligation to me, an American citizen and taxpayer, to do correct geological interpretations, to procure safe drill zone offshore reportings to we the public. Such drilling shelf reports, assuring safety, to we Americans at large.
Objectively, analysing offshore drill samples and the probabilities for successfull offshore drill sites, best suited at least cost to we the public and the Department of Interior, relying on the MMS, for geological interpretations as related to offshore drilling and environmental safety of the World Public.
I have to ask the MMS? If we have not the tools in the box for "capping" deepsea drills at 1000 feet; as exhibited by this recent unfortunate Gulf Spill, why even consider trenching at 2000 feet plus? I say we STOP YOU, MMS for being lax at allowing drilling approvals, at such depths; and, not having the emergent technologies and subordinates affiliates to prevent the spill (capping) from expanding.
This will be the environmental diaster of our decade. As as long stand environmentalist and naturalist for Connecticut's shorelines -- I'm frightened to watch this pread out of control and to learn of this tradegedy and loose policies, fitting the MMS approvals, for such grand offshore drilling projects. We cannot rest.
This is not an accident by nature, but by man. Transocean had insureance and their shall be hopefully no cap placed on liability that they shall be accoutable for. 27Million is a joke and please see; that we will Gloabally as People's of this Globe, witness the death of the Mexican-American Gulf.
Such diaster must be averted and no caps (27M) shall or should be granted. As the risk should be placed on Transocean's Insurance Carrier's, in my opinion.
The "risk of this type of spill is a possibility of the offshore drilling business; and should be insured. NOT OBSCURED!!!! NOR shall the BUCK be passed at the pump! Offshore drilling and the MMS, should have EMERGENCY tactics to resolve such a spill. Or, Drilling at these depths at all platforms, leave us at comparable risk. One the Globe cannnot risk for her people, jeopardizing every ecosystem known, required for our own environmental sustainability and ecological modernization for future generations.
WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS RISK NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. NOR CAN WE PRETEND IT DOESN'T EXIST PEOPLE.
We American's are tapped out. Oil for lifesylyes, our homes, jobs, kids and careers. And, oil slick polluted Oceans', Privately owned offshore drilling corporations, will avert the tab. Not a just World and MMS -- ??? MMNN?
Posted by: Charlene V. Miale | May 14, 2010 at 02:43 AM