The money behind "Drill Baby Drill" - Plus: Same toxic chemicals that poisoned Exxon Valdez clean-up workers now used in the Gulf of Mexico

"Big Oil" and the ugly truth behind oily political connections and bribes to politicians remain for us one of the most important topics - especially since Sarah Palin is never far away.

Is the word "bribe" unfair? Perhaps, as these payments are commonly referred to as "contributions". But how independent can a politician be who receives huge sums from the oil and gas industry? Is there "room for dissent"? If that's the case, then this fact is definitely very well hidden.

The current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico highlights that some politicians in the US seem to have turned into unofficial lobbyists for "Big Oil". Just ask Wikipedia:

"Petroleum supermajors are sometimes collectively referred to as Big Oil, a pejorative term used to describe the individual and collective economic power of the largest oil and gas producers, and their perceived influence on politics, particularly in the United States. Big Oil is often associated with the Energy Lobby."

The terrible consequences of this culture of "legal corruption" are now obvious.

A facebook group called "Power without Petroleum" created an incredibly powerful video, which strikes right at the heart of these "politicians", who seem to be lobbyists for Big Oil in the first case:



Please spread this video wide!

The video file can be downloaded HERE, in case you would like to upload it somewhere else as well.

This powerful clip should be seen by as many people as possible.

And don't forget to join the facebook group! :-)

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In addition, history is already starting to repeat itself at the Gulf of Mexico.

From the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, many important lessons could and should have been learned, for example that

1) Dispersants which contain highly toxic components will cause much more harm then they do good,

2) Clean-up workers will need extremely good protection, otherwise terrible long-term health problems seem to be inevitable.

It's horrific to see that these lessons have apparently not been learned.

Many clean-up workers in Alaska suffered severe long-term health damage. Their stories are heartbreaking.

An excellent link with lots of information about severe illnesses suffered by Exxon Valdez clean-up workers can be found HERE.

This is one typical example of such a story - Merle Savage, who worked extensively in the Exxon Valdez clean-up operation:

All of my life I had been in great health and had endless energy. However, after returning from the oil spill cleanup I began to experience prolonged respiratory ailments similar to the "Valdez Crud" I had while on the cleanup. At first I assumed that living in the Anchorage weather gave me the reason of always having a cold, the flu or sinus infections, to the point of the Doctor prescribing allergy shots in an effort to help. There was always a cough which extended into bronchial infections. Along with the lungs, respiratory, sinus problems there was a stomach issue which eventually expanded to the entire digestion tract. I had always had a strong stomach and could eat anything without problems. But this was something new for me and I began to see the breakdown of my general health. My condition grew increasingly worse without explanation, so in 1994 I decided to leave my Real Estate business in Anchorage and relocate to a warmer climate thinking it would be healthy for me.

I arrived in Las Vegas to be closer to my family. I began attending Real Estate School, but for the most part found myself struggling to attend classes. After passing the test I left my license inactive, because I couldn't commit to a full time job. In the mean time my body became riddled with pain to the point that at times I couldn't even get into a tub for a bath. Walking, bending and simply moving my limbs was painful every day, all day. This combined with the continuing respiratory condition, became unbearable. At one point I was taken to the emergency room after my body had swollen to the point of not being able to move at all. In 1998 I had angioplasty in two arteries in my heart. I struggled with recovery for a year, and then swelling took over my body, and dominated my every movement with pain. Because of my declining immune system over the past 19 years, my health has deterorated into heart problems, with angioplasty, chronic fatigue with muscle and joint pain, digestive problems, respiratory complications, cataracts in both eyes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and the latest discovery a mass on my liver. I do not smoke or drink, and have never had Hepatitis, so the doctors are questioning the reason for the liver problem.

I was forced to retire from a family owned business in 2002 for health reasons. I could no longer get through and complete a work day, not even with reduced hours. I continued going from one medication to another without relief. I was in the hospital twice with Pneumonia. The flu was a constant yearly occurrence that would last for weeks usually leading to a bronchial infection. At times I could see no way out of my predicament.

The LA Times reported in November 2001:

There are others whom almost no one talks about, although unlike the birds, most of them are still alive. They are the people who scraped oil off the beaches, skimmed it off the top of the water, hosed it off rocks.* Workers who stood in the brown foam 18 hours a day, who came back to their sleeping barges with oil matted in their hair, ate sandwiches speckled with oil, steered boats through a brown hydrocarbon haze that looked like the smog from hell.

After that summer, some found oil traces in their lungs, in their blood cells, in the fatty tissue of their buttocks. They got treated for headaches, nausea, chemical burns and breathing problems, and went home. But some never got well.

Steve Cruikshank of Wasilla, Alaska, has headaches that go on for days. Two years ago, he was hospitalized when his lungs nearly stopped working. "The doctor said, 'I'm going to give you the strongest antibiotic known to man, and you're either going to survive or not survive. I don't know what's wrong with you.' What's wrong is, I haven't felt right since that oil spill."

Safety measures during the Exxon Valdez clean-up were neglected:

"Nobody complied with any of the health and safety rules, and everybody turned a blind eye," said Robert J. Gryder, a Coast Guard safety officer at the spill who has worked for decades in the field of hazardous materials handling and training. "They were issuing rain suits [as protective gear], and a rain suit is worthless as protective equipment except for one chemical: water."

"In 1989, we did not know what the adverse health effects would be of that exposure to Prudhoe Bay crude oil," Gryder said. "We simply didn't know, and we still don't know."

So what caused these illnesses?

The citizen website "www.valdezlink.com" explains that 2-Butoxyethanol apparently played a major role 1989 in Alaska.

A factsheet (PDF) about this substance explains:

EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE:
The substance irritates the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract
Exposure could cause central nervous system depression and liver and kidney damage.

EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM OR REPEATED EXPOSURE:
The liquid defats the skin.
The substance may have effects on the haematopoietic system, resulting in blood disorders.

The New Jersey Department of Health also points out the following (PDF):

The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at
some time after exposure to 2-Butoxy Ethanol and can last
for months or years:

Cancer Hazard
􀁦 2-Butoxy Ethanol may be a CARCINOGEN in humans
since it has been shown to cause liver cancer in animals.
􀁦 Many scientists believe there is no safe level of exposure to
a carcinogen."

BP is currently using Corexit 9500 and 9527 in unprecedently large quantities in the Gulf of Mexico.

In case you didn't know it already, you could have probably guessed by now what one the main ingredients is - from the company factsheet for Corexit 9527 (PDF):

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that clean-up workers at the Golf Coast start to complain about very similar symptoms, as Huffington Post reported several days ago in a very detailed article.

CNN also reported shocking facts:

BP has not supplied workers with masks when they work near the oil and dispersants.

"We're been carrying out very extensive air quality since early on in this exercise, to make sure that we have working safe conditions, and thus far not found situations where there are air quality concerns that would require face masks," MacEwen said.

He added that workers who want to wear masks are "free to do so" as long as they receive instructions from their supervisors on how to use them.
According to Guidry from the shrimpers' association, BP told workers they were not allowed to wear masks.

"Some of our men asked, and they were told they'd be fired if they wore masks," he said.

Tony Hayward, the chief executive officer of BP, offered another explanation for the fishermen's illness: spoiled food.

"Food poisoning is clearly a big issue," Hayward said Sunday. "It's something we've got to be very mindful of. It's one of the big issues of keeping the Army operating. You know, the Army marches on their stomachs."

I don't know where the army marches, but it seems to be clear that their soldiers will suffer very, very badly.

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To conclude:

Today I discovered an outstanding British documentary about the Exxon Valdez oil disaster which was made in 2009.

I found a copy of this documentary only in the Swedish version, however, there is hardly any Swedish commentary. In the center of this moving and incredibly well made documentary are the people in Alaska - officials of Exxon, politicians, clean-up workers, citizens etc.

The suffering of the clean-up workers and the use of dispersants are prominently featured in this documentary. One person who bravely spoke out in public against the use of dispersants in Alaska in 1989 was Riki Ott (link to her website). Merle Savage (see the excerpt of her sad story regarding the ill effects of the clean-up operation above) is also interviewed.

If only more people could see what mistakes were made 20 years ago! Now history is bound to repeat itself, but instead of "Big Oil" Exxon, it's "Big Oil" BP's turn today.

Part 1:

Part 2:

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Tony Hayward gives evasive answers to Congress, and the political clowns distract from real issues

Guest post by Kathleen

Yesterday, the CEO of BP Tony Hayward was due to answer questions regarding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill before a Congressional hearing which hoped to make sense of how the disaster occurred and to receive an apology for the disaster that his company created. Instead the American people were treated to a day at the circus when a Republican implied that a corporation is a bigger victim than the “little people” and that BP deserved an apology for having been through a “shakedown” by President Obama.

Joe Barton, a Republican Congressman, yesterday made an apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward. His apology stated that he was “ashamed of what happened in the White House” and insinuated that BP had been bullied by the Government of the USA into the setting up of the $20 billion fund to compensate and protect the victims of the biggest oil spill and environmental disaster that the United States has faced so far in its history.

It’s clear that this attack was politically motivated and had nothing to do with actually solving any problems created by the oil spill itself, nor to solving the disastrous aftermath of monumental consequences for the livelihoods of the fisherman, tourist industry and wildlife in the area in the near and distant future. We witnessed the immediate aftermath of indignation by members who jumped on Barton for his insensitive remarks. Republican colleagues called for his resignation. The repercussions were huge, more apologies ensued and Tony Hayward’s statement quizzically played second fiddle to the brouhaha.

Hayward, despite the fact that he had previously been sent a list of prepared questions that the Congressional hearing required answers to, repeatedly and discouragingly refused to cooperate with Congress and by default the American people. His responses were at best evasive and at worst merely soundbites repeated from previous interviews. Angry Congressmen were later forced to conclude that they had not learned anything new from his efficacious testimony and even questioned whether or not Hayward had even looked at the questions they sought answers to.

Download the full text of Tony Hayward's prepared testimony HERE.

Hayward did manage to say that BP was sorry for the spill but did not take responsibility for disregarding indications that the rig might suffer a blowout and instead went ahead and capped the well. A memorandum released on May 25th by the House Energy & Commerce Committee stated that:

Further, BP’s preliminary findings indicate that there were other events in the 24 hours before the explosion that require further inquiry. As early as 5:05 p.m., almost 5 hours before the explosion, an unexpected loss of fluid was observed in the riser pipe, suggesting that there were leaks in the annular preventer in the BOP. Four hours before the explosion, during efforts to begin negative pressure testing, the system gained 15 barrels of liquid instead of the 5 barrels that were expected, leading to the possibility that there was an "influx from the well."

No where in his testimony did Hayward take responsibility for the fact that the indications of “leaks in the annular preventer” were not acted upon. It is clear from this statement that they were aware that the blowout preventer could be failing and yet they still went ahead with the operation of capping the well. Once again the will of the corporations takes precedence over that of the environment.

The Memorandum concluded:

Several concerns about the blowout preventer were identified by BP including the failure of its emergency disconnect system (EDS), the failure of its automated mode function or deadman switch, the failure of the BOP’s shearing functions, and the failure of the remote operated vehicle interventions. The BP investigation has also raised concerns about the maintenance history, modification, inspection, and testing of the BOP.

The situation in the gulf is now beyond any expectation of a quick solution. It never was going to be resolved swiftly and it should be accepted that at most the mess will eventually be partially cleaned up. It will be many decades before the gulf is free from the effects of the oil and the chemical dispersants which are choking the life out of it and are smearing oily streaks on the coast and the lives of those who depend upon its bounty and beauty to make a living. The BP executives, the government, the environmental agencies, scientists and those who live there understand that the delicate ecosystem is under tremendous pressure and that recovery will be painstakingly slow. Significantly it is now understood that not only will the livelihoods of present generations be affected but that of the future also.

Grist.org reports:

While most observers understand that fish, shrimp, oysters, and clams are being threatened by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) alliance is warning of longer-term impacts that affect not only the seafood industry, but farmers, market gardeners, gator hunters, crawfish harvesters, and sassafras foragers as well. Some of the rural parishes of the Gulf Coast have already lost five out of ten residents in their communities due to out-migration following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; if the current closures of fisheries trigger further out-migration, then rare heirloom seeds, fruits, and tubers will be abandoned in gardens, orchards, and storage sheds without anyone to grow or eat them.

Hayward gave an apology but he did not give any explicit explanation and he certainly did not take responsibility on BP’s behalf for the destruction that this unmitigated disaster has and will continue to inflict.

Instead the Republican clowns were brought in. Sarah Palin led the attack shrilling that she was sure that the solution could be found by the dikes of Holland. Michelle Bachmann wailed that Obama’s fund was certainly a conspiracy to “redistribute the wealth” – BP’s wealth. Joe Barton deceptively followed through by tossing a life ring dressed as an apology to Tony Hayward.

These "look at me" gestures of the clowns which happened BEFORE Tony Hayward's testimony conveniently distracted the public from Tony Hayward's atrocious appearance. BP still has many Republican friends, and hopefully the American public won't forget this fact. BP is a failed multinational and recklessly caused a disaster of huge magnitude. This disaster can happen again, any time, and it will, unless BP and the other oil companies which are drilling offshore all over the world are forced to implement much stronger safety measures.

In addition, the world has to learn that our dependence on oil is the root of the problem. The oil companies will continue to unlock oil from remote places, regardless of the hazards involved, as long as there is enough demand.

We finish this post with a very powerful, new video by Gulf Coast native Lea Morris which has a direct message to "drill baby drill" fanatic Sarah Palin and all the BP apologists from the people who will continue to live with the disaster day by day, week by week and year by year.

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UPDATE:

Halliburton - a company for all seasons!

Rawstory.com reports how Halliburton makes money off the oil spill:

Does a company that both builds oil rigs and cleans up oil spills have any motivation to prevent oil rig disasters?

That's the question some people in business and politics are asking themselves after Halliburton's purchase of an oil clean-up company 10 days before the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers and launched the worst oil spill in US history.

Some observers see a conspiracy in the actions of the company once headed by Dick Cheney. Halliburton, which built the cement casing for the Deepwater Horizon's drill, announced its purchase of Houston-based oilfield services company Boots and Coots for $240 million on April 9, just 11 days before the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

According to a report at the Christian Science Monitor Friday, Boots and Coots is now under contract with BP to help with the oil spill. The company "focuses on oil spill prevention and blowout response," CSM reports. Halliburton's purchase is not yet a done deal -- it's still awaiting regulatory approval, though few observers think the purchase won't pass muster.

.

Sarah Palin's oily finger points back at herself - Why BP decided to drill offshore - UPDATE

Sarah Palin said in her Facebook note 'Extreme Enviros: Drill, Baby, Drill in ANWR - Now Do You Get It?' (link)

''Extreme deep water drilling is not the preferred choice to meet our country's energy needs, but your protests and lawsuits and lies about onshore and shallow water drilling have locked up safer areas.

If "extreme environmentalists" were not successful in prohibiting land based oil drilling in the United States, then companies like BP would not have to resort to looking for oil in the deep oceans. "

These are excerpts from an article on the Seattle Times, dated August 10, 2008:

Republicans in Congress this June united to defeat a proposed windfall tax on oil companies, deriding it as a bad idea that would discourage investment in U.S. oil exploration.

Things worked out far differently in the GOP stronghold of Alaska, a state whose economic fate is closely tied to the oil industry.

Over the opposition of oil companies, Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska's Legislature last year approved a major increase in taxes on the oil industry — a step that has generated stunning new wealth for the state as oil prices soared.

The Alaska tax is imposed on the net profit earned on each barrel of oil pumped from state-owned land, after deducting costs for production and transportation, which are currently estimated at just under $25 a barrel.

The tax is set at its highest rate in Prudhoe Bay, where the state takes 25 percent of the net profit of a barrel when its price is at or below $52.

The percentage then escalates as oil prices rise over that benchmark. Alaska gets about $49 of a $120 barrel, not counting other fees.

ConocoPhillips said that in total, once royalty payments and other taxes are added in, the state captures about 75 percent of the value of a barrel.

BP Alaska, which runs Prudhoe Bay, said earlier this year that it had delayed the development in the western region of the North Slope as a result of the tax. ConocoPhillips cited the same reason for scrapping a $300 million refinery project.

"What the tax has done is take away all the upside," said Doug Suttles, president of BP Alaska. The U.K.-based oil company paid more than $500 million in taxes to Alaska last quarter — far more than it earned in profits from Alaskan oil, according to Suttles.

Investment dollars are flowing instead to places that have a better return, like the massive deep-water projects offshore in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, where ConocoPhillips said the government take equals less than 50 percent of the barrel.

It's clear that BP didn't go to the Gulf of Mexico because the "extreme enviros" locked up the land with their protests and lawsuits.

Let's rephrase Sarah Palins's Facebook note to reflect the truth:

"If my administration were not successful in raising taxes on land based oil drilling in Alaska, then companies like BP would not have to resort to looking for oil in the deep oceans. "

That's better!

Another interesting point is that Sarah Palin's increased royalty tax imposed is simply a redistribution of wealth from the lower 48. Who ended up paying the added tax that Alaskans enjoyed in the annual APF Alaskan Permanent Fund distribution? Motorists and consumers in the lower 48 and around the globe. Sarah's a Tea Bagger in name only... only when it suits her.


So that there are no misunderstandings about Sarah Palin's position on offshore drilling, let's hear from the lady herself:



More Drill Baby, Drill:



This is the person who unleashed Sarah Palin on the rest of the world:



(H/T to austintxx for the last two videos)

Oh, well...

(H/T to EyeOnYou and sdilmoak)

EyeOnYou has some disturbing pictures of birds affected by the oil spill. You'll need a strong stomach to view them.

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Please join this facebook group:

1,000,000 People Who Want to Plug the BP Oil Spill with Sarah Palin

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Here is another great facebook group:

DRILL BABY DRILL IN LAKE LUCILLE, ALASKA

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UPDATE:

The website www.neworleans.com posted a copy of BP's regional oil spill response plan for the Gulf of Mexico (almost 600 pages):

Download this plan HERE.

From the article:

2) Spokespersons were advised never to assure the public that an ecosystem would be back to normal after the worst case scenario, which we are now living through. "No statements shall be made concerning any of the following: promises that property, ecology, or anything else will be restored to normal." Even in BP CEO Tony Hayward's new television commercial his assurance is an ambiguous, "We will make this right," which does not specifically address preserving or restoring America's Wetlands.

3) Corexit oil dispersant toxicity has not been tested on ecosystems, according to the Oil Spill Response Plan. "Ecotoxilogical effects: No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product." It is contradictory that the question and answer section discusses the choice of a dispersant with: "Have environmental tradeoffs of dispersant use indicated that use should be considered? Note: This is one of the more difficult questions" and "Has the overflight to assure that endangered species are not in the application area been conducted?" Brown pelicans and sea turtles would have been the answer to the latter.

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UPDATE 2 (by Patrick):

I have looked for more information about the dispersant used in the Gulf of Mexico, and found some very disturbing information.

One of the dispersants being used is Corexit 9500, also called Corexit EC9500A.

"Themoneytimes" reports:

At present BP is using Corexit 9500. which features high in terms of toxicity and low in terms of efficacy in comparison to 18 other EPA-approved dispersants.

"Based on the information that is available today, BP continues to believe that Corexit was the best and most appropriate choice at the time when the incident occurred, and that Corexit remains the best option for subsea application," BP said.

The EPA, had, in a directive issued Thursday, ordered BP to find a less toxic but equally effective chemical than Corexit 9500.

The instructions also demanded that the replacement should be effected within 72 hours.

The availability of this substitute had to be abundant given the enormous need.

Another dispersant used is Corexit 9527 (also called Corexit EC9527A).

Wikipedia also has a good overview about these two chemicals which are used now in the Gulf of Mexico.

The main ingridient of Corexit 9527 is 2-BUTOXY ETHANOL.

The New Jersey Department of Health published a fact sheet about 2-Butoxy-Ethanol (PDF).

Under "Health Hazard Information", the department notes:

"Acute Health Effects"

The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur
immediately or shortly after exposure to 2-Butoxy Ethanol:

*Contact can irritate the skin and eyes with possible eye
damage.
*Inhaling 2-Butoxy Ethanol can irritate the nose and throat
causing coughing and wheezing.
*2-Butoxy Ethanol can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
and abdominal pain.
* Exposure can cause headache, dizziness, confusion,
lightheadedness, and passing out.
Chronic Health Effects

The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at
some time after exposure to 2-Butoxy Ethanol and can last
for months or years:

"Cancer Hazard"

* 2-Butoxy Ethanol may be a CARCINOGEN in humans
since it has been shown to cause liver cancer in animals.
* Many scientists believe there is no safe level of exposure to
a carcinogen."

Scientists believe that the use of these dispersants will lead to a horrible environmental disaster - the UK Independent reports:

"It's the biggest environmental disaster of our time and it's not even over yet," said the marine toxicologist Dr Susan Shaw, director of the Marine Environmental Research Institute based in Maine. She has been diving among the damage and is horrified by the contamination caused by BP's continued use of dispersants. "They've been used at such a high volume that it's unprecedented. The worst of these – Corexit 9527 – is the one they've been using most. That ruptures red blood cells and causes fish to bleed. With 800,000 gallons of this, we can only imagine the death that will be caused."

According to Dr Shaw, plankton and smaller shrimps coated in these toxic chemicals will be eaten by larger fish, passing the deadly mix up the food chain. "This is dismantling the food web, piece by piece," she said. "We'll see dead bodies soon. Sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, whales: the impact on predators will be seen in a short time because the food web will be impacted from the bottom up."

The largest of the clouds, confirmed by a University of South Florida research ship last week, has gone deeper than the spill itself, defying BP's assurances that all oil would rise to the surface. It is now headed north-east of the rig, towards the DeSoto Canyon. This underwater trench could channel the noxious soup along the Florida coast, impacting on fisheries and coating 100-year-old coral forests. Tests on the toxicity of another chemical cloud, some 10 miles long and heading south-west of the site, are also being done by scientists from the University of Georgia.

Marine biologists say the timing of this underwater contamination could not be more catastrophic. "This is when all the animals are reproducing and hatching, so the damage at this depth will be much worse," said Dr Larry McKinney, director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies in Texas. "We're not talking about adults on the surface; it will impact on the young – and potentially a generational life cycle."

According to ProPublica, during the Exxon Valdez oil disaster, an earlier version of Corexit lead to severe problems amongst clean-up workers:

According to a 2005 National Academy of Sciences report, the dispersants and the oil they leave behind can kill fish eggs. A study of oil dispersal in Coos Bay, Ore. found that PAH accumulated in mussels, the Academy’s paper noted. Another study examining fish health after the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989 found that PAHs affected the developing hearts of Pacific herring and pink salmon embryos. The research suggests the dispersal of the oil that’s leaking in the Gulf could affect the seafood industry there.

“One of the most difficult decisions that oil spill responders and natural resource managers face during a spill is evaluating the trade-offs associated with dispersant use,” said the Academy report, titled Oil Spill Dispersants, Efficacy and Effects. “There is insufficient understanding of the fate of dispersed oil in aquatic ecosystems.”

A version of Corexit was widely used after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and, according to a literature review performed by the group the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, was later linked with health impacts in people including respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders. But the Academy report makes clear that the dispersants used today are less toxic than those used a decade ago.

“There is a certain amount of toxicity,” said Robin Rorick, director of marine and security operations at the American Petroleum Institute. “We view dispersant use as a tool in a toolbox. It’s a function of conducting a net environmental benefit analysis and determining the best bang for your buck.”

However, can we really trust what the producers of Corexit tell us?

The US-company Nalco with offices in Illinois and Texas has already made huge profits with the product through the Gulf spill. Two weeks ago Nalco announced that they sold already dispersants worth $ 40 million through the sale of the dispersants for the Gulf spill.

On their website they are not shy to report about the use of their valuable product in the Gulf of Mexico in detail. Look what they have to say:

"Data published by Environment Canada, that country’s main environmental agency, showed common household dish soap as having a substantially higher rainbow trout toxicity than COREXIT 9500. Put another way, COREXIT 9500 is the more than 27 times safer than dish soap."

You really would need to be brain-amputed to believe this spin.

Reader's picture from the New York Times:


Description: “I’ve been watching Corexit being used for three weeks, trying to get someone to care. They flew nonstop this weekend, stopping only at dark. This morning there was one C130 take off at 9:30 am this morning, then nothing. Currently they are not flying. My office overlooks the Stennis Airport runway and the flight path goes over my house. The Corexit is stored within 200 feet of my office. No one is using protective gear.” Stennis Airport, Miss.

Credit: Jennifer Aitken

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I also found an excellent video which is a documentary about the hazards that clean-up workers face in an oil spill disaster - with the Exxon Valdez oil spill as an example. I hope that old mistakes will not be repeated in this new clean-up operation which is about to start at the Gulf of Mexico:

Sarah Palin: Drill, Spill, Why Not? UPDATE!

A sister rig of the "Deepwater Horizon", the "Nautilus",

being transported on a heavy-lift vessel

Download this PDF-document with more dramatic pictures from the disaster!

Sarah Palin addressing the audience during a Lincoln Day Dinner hosted by Fairbanks Republican Women, on February 14, 2009:

“We’ve got to let the federal government know we can responsibly and safely develop our natural resources.”

Anchorage Daily News, February 19, 2009:

An unknown amount of oil, natural gas and water spilled from a Prudhoe Bay pipeline this week in an incident under investigation by state regulators.

Prudhoe Bay, the state's biggest oil field, has had a series of spills in recent years that have led to heightened oversight by state and federal regulators of operations there.

BP runs the field on behalf of itself, Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips and Chevron.

From a comment on the above report:

"There are few regulations, fewer regulators, and almost no enforcement up there. These spills aren't inevitable, they're a result of industry cutting corners to boost their profits".

Anchorage Daily News, December 4, 2009:

In the midst of cleaning up a major North Slope oil spill with an unusual twist, BP has reported another spill involving a different pipeline.

The spill is the second since Sunday involving pipelines managed by BP. The Sunday oil spill still is being cleaned up as well. Officials say they have not pinpointed a cause or estimated the size of that spill.

Anchorage Daily News, December 9, 2009:

Officials have found a 24-inch jagged rupture in a pipeline that began pouring oil and water Nov. 29, creating one of the biggest North Slope crude oil spills ever.

Officials say massive ice plugs had formed inside the pipe, which caused BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. to stop operating it a few weeks ago. Pressure then built up until the pipeline ruptured, according to BP.

The biggest oil spill ever on the North Slope occurred in 2006 when more than 200,000 gallons of crude leaked from a corroded transit line at the Prudhoe Bay field. That led to a criminal misdemeanor conviction for BP, $20 million in fines and restitution, and three years of probation, which the company is still on.

Anchorage Daily News, May 1, 2010:

British Petroleum once downplayed the possibility of a catastrophic accident at an offshore rig that exploded, causing the worst U.S. oil spill in decades along the Gulf Coast and endangering shoreline habitat.

In its 2009 exploration plan and environmental impact analysis for the well, BP suggested it was unlikely, or virtually impossible, for an accident to occur that would lead to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish and mammals.

At least 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled so far since the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers, according to Coast Guard estimates. One expert said Friday that the volume of oil leaking from the well nearly 5,000 feet below the surface could actually be much higher, and that even more may escape if the drilling equipment continues to erode.

BP's 52-page exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon well, filed with the federal Minerals Management Service, says repeatedly that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities."

Let's hear Sarah Palin again:

“We’ve got to let the federal government know we can responsibly and safely develop our natural resources.”

And again:

Having worked/lived thru Exxon oil spill,my family&I understand Gulf residents' fears.Our prayers r w/u.All industry efforts must b employed

And again:

All responsible energy development must be accompanied by strict oversight, but even with the strictest oversight in the world, accidents still happen.

How can Sarah Palin talk about oversight? BP had an appalling record in Alaska, before, during and after she quit as half-term governor.

Source: Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star

In her Facebook note, she blows her own trumpet:

In the coming days, there will be hearings to discover the cause of the explosion and the subsequent leak. Actions will be taken to increase oversight to prevent future accidents. Government can and must play an appropriate role here. If a company was lax in its prevention practices, it must be held accountable. It is inexcusable for any oil company to not invest in preventative measures. They must be held accountable or the public will forever distrust the industry.

This was the position I took as an oil and gas regulator and as Governor of Alaska when my administration ramped up oversight of the oil industry and created a petroleum-systems-integrity office to monitor our oil and gas infrastructure for potential environmental risks. I took a lot of heat for the stand I took “against the oil industry” (which is how political adversaries labeled my actions). But we took tough action because there was proof of some improper maintenance of oil infrastructure which I believed was unacceptable. We instituted new oversight and held British Petroleum (BP) financially accountable for poor maintenance practices. We also filed a Friend-of-the-Court brief against Exxon’s interests for its decades-old responsibility to compensate Alaskans affected by the Valdez spill, and I took other actions “against” the industry which ultimately helped hold it accountable.

The people affected by the Exxon Valdez spill received $12,000 as compensation after the Supreme Court ruling. Sarah Palin was disappointed with the ruling before she decided to take credit for it.



Will Sarah Palin be happy or disappointed with BP's latest employed efforts?

Alabama Attorney General Troy King said tonight that he has told representatives of BP Plc. that they should stop circulating settlement agreements among coastal Alabamians.

The agreements, King said, essentially require that people give up the right to sue in exchange for payment of up to $5,000.

King said BP's efforts were particularly strong in Bayou La Batre.

The attorney general said he is prohibited from giving legal advice to private citizens, but added that "people need to proceed with caution and understand the ramifications before signing something like that.

"They should seek appropriate counsel to make sure their rights are protected," King said.

By the end of Sunday, BP aimed to sign up 500 fishing boats in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to deploy boom.

BP had distributed a contract to fishermen it was hiring that waived their right to sue BP and required confidentiality and other items, sparking protests in Louisiana and elsewhere.

The oil industry and Sarah Palin are comfortably in bed together, despite her posturing.

I don't think there's any risk of Sarah Palin safely and responsibly developing a conscience...

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UPDATE:

Sarah Palin, the environmentalist:



(H/T to so_many_unanswered_questions)

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UPDATE 2:

Joe Romm has written an excellent article about the oil spill and the consequences on "Climate Progress" and says that the spill might exceed the Exxon Valdez disaster in days.

He also appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann and discussed this issue. Keith Olbermann also highlights Sarah Palin's irresponsible remarks at the SRLC:

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UPDATE 3 (by Patrick):

More insanity from the Republicans in Texas!

Rick Perry blames God for the oil disaster!

I am sure his oil buddies loved to hear that.

"Think Progress" just reported:

Earlier today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is funded by dues-paying corporations like BP and Halliburton, hosted a “Free Enterprise” conference to push deregulation and anti-tax policies. During a press availability after the morning session, a reporter raised the point that the oil rig disaster, the Massey mine disaster, and the overall financial crisis seemed to have all occurred as a result of too much free enterprise and not enough regulations. Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), one of several governors in attendance, lashed out at the reporter and said regulations would not have prevented the economic collapse.

Later in his response, Perry said he feared a “knee-jerk reaction” to the oil spill, and said the oil spill could be just another “act of God that cannot be prevented“:

“We don’t know what the event that has allowed for this massive oil to be released,” Perry said alongside several other governors on a panel Monday. “And until we know that, I hope we don’t see a knee-jerk reaction across this country that says we’re going to shut down drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, because the cost to this country will be staggering.” Perry questioned whether the spill was “just an act of God that occurred” and said that any “politically driven” decisions could put the U.S. in further economic peril. “From time to time there are going to be things that occur that are acts of God that cannot be prevented,” Perry said.

(h/t Mrs TBB!)

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UPDATE 4:

An excellent video featuring Ed Schultz interviewing Mike Papantonio, who is a lawyer who acted in lawsuits against BP, has been published on youtube. This is a must-see!

Read this new article in the UK Guardian about this interview with further background information. Looks like there is a real possibility that Dick Cheney is to blame.

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The Wall Street Journal writes:

The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn't have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills.

The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.

The accident has led to one of the largest ever oil spills in U.S. water and the loss of 11 lives. On Wednesday federal investigators said the disaster is now releasing 5,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf, up from original estimates of 1,000 barrels a day.

U.S. regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn't have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.

Graphic from the Wall Street Journal:

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UPDATE 5:

First Rick Perry blames God, and now Sarah Palin tells us to place our "trust in the oil industry."

We all know what side Perry and Palin are REALLY on!

From Huffington Post:

Sarah Palin urged the country to "trust the oil industry" and to continue to pursue offshore drilling initiatives in light of the Gulf Coast oil spill when delivering a speech in Missouri over the weekend. The Kansas City Star reports that Palin called the massive oil slick "tragic," but defended drilling as a viable energy solution when speaking to a mostly Republican crowd:

Gulf of Mexico oil spill or not, Sarah Palin on Saturday defended offshore drilling as an essential component of U.S. energy security.

Speaking to a crowd of mostly Republicans at the Independence Events Center, the former Alaska governor called the oil spill "very tragic" but added: "I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry."

She said the U.S. must wean itself from foreign oil in order to be truly free.

I think we can call it "Palin Freedom". She has some buddies who pay well, and wants them to be free.

(h/t BanditBasheert!)

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See also this highly informative article on Rick Outzen's blog who interviewed Mike Papantonio and Bobby Kennedy Jr. about the disaster.

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