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StumbleSun Editorial:
Preventing more spills
Senate should follow House by tightening offshore oil drilling regulations
Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
It is unfortunate that it often takes a tragedy before Congress acts on needed legislation, whether the subject is Wall Street reform, product safety or homeland security. The debacle of the past four months caused by the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a mishap caused by an oil rig explosion in April that killed 11 workers, is the latest example of a tragedy that cries for a legislative response.
The Democratic-controlled House, in a vote split mostly along party lines, took the common- sense route last week when it approved legislation that would eliminate the $75 million liability cap for oil companies responsible for spills. This cap has to go because taxpayers and businesses affected by a spill should not be forced to pay for any economic harm that exceeds $75 million. That onus should fall on the oil companies responsible.
The House bill also calls for needed offshore safety and environmental measures, such as regulations on the installation of safety devices intended to prevent oil well blowouts. There is also a ban on additional offshore drilling leases for companies that have shown a disregard for worker safety and the environment.
Had such measures been in place before the Deepwater Horizon disaster, they likely would have spared 11 lives and prevented as much as 184 million gallons of oil from gushing into the Gulf. Wildlife would have been saved, beaches would have remained clean and the Gulf’s fishing industry would have been free from disruption.
We encourage the Senate to swiftly approve similar legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Harry Reid. In addition to the tougher offshore drilling regulations, Reid’s bill would create jobs by subsidizing the production and sale of vehicles that use electricity or natural gas. And homeowners would be rewarded with subsidies to make their homes more energy efficient.
Reid said his bill would prevent BP from repeating what it has done to the American people. Who would want to argue with that? The Nevada Democrat doesn’t stop there, though. He also recognizes the need for this country to forge a broader energy strategy that helps both the economy and the environment.
“We also want to lessen our dependence on foreign oil,” he said. “So we’re going to move to converting our truck fleets to natural gas.”
It should not come as a shock that Senate Republicans, who are beholden to Big Oil, will do everything in their power to make sure BP and fellow offshore oil drillers continue to go about their business without regard for worker safety or environmental protection. It was bad enough that BP acted irresponsibly. But the fact that Republicans refuse to join Democrats in passing such crucial legislation compounds the tragedy.
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Never let a good crisis go to waste.
Any kind of liability caps seem to be unconstitutional. Why should taxpayers (we the people) be on the hook for a dime when a company has money in the bank.
To set up deferred payments so the company stays solvent with a very low interest rate ensures accountability and takes community interest into account.
The fact these discussions are taking place at all is troubling. It should be well established law for corporations already. Like the pottery barn rules. You broke it, you bought it.
Oh, NO..o.o.o.o.o...!!!!
Sharron Mangle says we should further CUT BACK regulations so "U.S. oil companies" will "come back in" and solve our domestic energy problems.
If the liberals and the environmentalists would allow drilling ON shore where known oil reserves are plentiful we wouldn't have to worry about leaks in the gulf or any other body of water.
The Party of "No" just keeps on trucking:
"No" to health care reform (and no plan of their own)
"No" to financial reform (despite imploded economy"
"No" to climate legislation (despite warmest decade on record)
"No" to regulating deep water drilling (despite the largest oil spill in the history of oil drilling)
"Yes" to any corporate interest, no matter how detrimental to the public or environment.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/24/...
AP
GrmpyLP said:
"If the liberals and the environmentalists would allow drilling ON shore where known oil reserves are plentiful we wouldn't have to worry about leaks in the gulf or any other body of water."
Yeah, us environmentalists are really conspiring with the Arabs to keep us from being energy independent. We have a secret list of where all the oil wells should be located, and we will only share it with OPEC.
@GrumpyLP-
If you'd do the FIRST itty-bitty smidge of objective research, you'd know that all of the easy and cheap to acquire onshore oil has been tapped.
Government inspectors should be making sure all material and parts used are the ones listed on the specifications per plan, per job number. There is a form that the inspectors sign to prove that the work and materials are up to snuff, and the job can continue after passing each level of inspections. It is obvious that the oil industry will keep drilling where ever they desire, until it disappears.
BobbyG you are wrong. the Bakaan reserves up in Montana, the Dakotas and Canada has more oil than the mideast does.
The Rocky mountains have trillions of tons of oil shale.
30% of our oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico, and we pay the same price for the oil from the mid east.
The oil is priced by the dollar bill. Our dollar is worth 4 cents right now so oil is more costly.
Didn't anyone hear? The spill wasn't the catastrophe eco-whackos wanted it to be. You know, predicting enviro-disasters helps the eco-whacko groups fundraising.