BP Complaints

Video: Oil Spill Undersea Damage
As the Gulf oil disaster continues, BP is containing less than half of the daily leakage. As Mark Strassmann reports, damage undersea is just as bad as the oil-stained coastlines.
Read more on CBS News

Obama, aides warn of long-term oil slick damage
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and his top disaster official warned Monday of severe long-term economic and environmental damage from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and piled new pressure on BP over compensation payments. Read more…
Read more on The Malaysian Mirror

Will the Oil Spill Damage Obama’s Popularity?
With little happening in Congress, the oil spill will continue to shape public opinion until it is stopped Gulf of Mexico – Oil spill – United States – Federal government of the United States – BP
Read more on The Atlantic

.

BP says tube collecting less oil, as damage continues
Just as U.S. President Barack Obama announced he was sending top administration officials to monitor the massive oil spill in the Gulf Coast, the company at the heart of the disaster said one of the ways it’s trying to stem the flow of oil is working less effectively.
Read more on CTV Toronto

Arnold & Itkin LLP Forms Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Task Force to Investigate Damage Claims
Houston law firm assembles team of experts to evaluate environmental issues and commercial damages caused by ongoing Gulf Coast oil leak.
Read more on PRWeb via Yahoo! News

This morning the President met with members of his Cabinet to get another comprehensive update on the ongoing Administration-wide response to the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf region. The President made clear his frustration with BP and the other parties involved in the spill, committed once again to ensuring they are held accountable for picking up the tab, and recapped the Administration’s efforts to tighten up the regulation of offshore drilling sites.

He began with the top priorities, however:

The potential devastation to the Gulf Coast, its economy, and its people require us to continue our relentless efforts to stop the leak and contain the damage.  There’s already been a loss of life, damage to our coastline, to fish and wildlife, and to the livelihoods of everyone from fishermen to restaurant and hotel owners.  I saw firsthand the anger and frustration felt by our neighbors in the Gulf.  And let me tell you, it is an anger and frustration that I share as President.  And I’m not going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil in the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of the Gulf are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods.

Now, the most important order of business is to stop the leak.  I know there have been varying reports over the last few days about how large the leak is, but since no one can get down there in person, we know there is a level of uncertainty.  But as Admiral Thad Allen said today, our mobilization and response efforts have always been geared toward the possibility of a catastrophic event.  And what really matters is this:  There’s oil leaking and we need to stop it –- and we need to stop it as soon as possible.  With that source being 5,000 feet under the ocean’s surface, this has been extremely difficult.  But scientists and engineers are currently using the best, most advanced technology that exists to try to stop the flow of oil as quickly as possible.

Our second task has been to contain the spill and protect the Gulf Coast and the people who live there.  We are using every available resource to stop the oil from coming ashore.  Over one million feet of barrier boom have been deployed to hold the oil back.  Hundreds of thousands of gallons of dispersant have helped to break up the oil, and about four million gallons of oily water have been recovered; 13,000 people have been mobilized to protect the shoreline and its wildlife, as has the National Guard.

The President also discussed the draft legislation sent to Congress this week to ensure that the government can respond as needed, and talked about accountability:

I know BP has committed to pay for the response effort, and we will hold them to their obligation.  I have to say, though, I did not appreciate what I considered to be a ridiculous spectacle during the congressional hearings into this matter.  You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else.  The American people could not have been impressed with that display, and I certainly wasn’t.

I understand that there are legal and financial issues involved, and a full investigation will tell us exactly what happened.  But it is pretty clear that the system failed, and it failed badly.  And for that, there is enough responsibility to go around.  And all parties should be willing to accept it.

That includes, by the way, the federal government.  For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill.  It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies.  That cannot and will not happen anymore.  To borrow an old phrase, we will trust but we will verify.

Now, from the day he took office as Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar has recognized these problems and he’s worked to solve them.  Oftentimes he has been slammed by the industry, suggesting that somehow these necessary reforms would impede economic growth.  Well, as I just told Ken, we are going to keep on going to do what needs to be done.

And so I’ve asked Secretary Salazar to conduct a top-to-bottom reform of the Minerals Management Service.  This week, he announced that the part of the agency which permits oil and gas drilling and collects royalties will be separated from the part of the agency in charge of inspecting the safety of oil rigs and platforms and enforcing the law.  That way, there’s no conflict of interest, real or perceived.

He closed on a note of concern for those most affected:

The people of the Gulf Coast need our help, and they deserve nothing less than for us to stand up and do whatever is necessary to stop this spill, prevent further damage, and compensate all those who’ve been harmed already. That’s our job.

It’s also our job to make sure this kind of mess doesn’t happen again.  It’s a job we’ve been doing.  It’s a job we will keep doing until the well is capped and the spill is cleaned up, and all claims are paid.

View full post on White House.gov Blog Feed

BP Hopes Dome Will Contain Oil Spill, But BP Needs Better CrisisPR to Contain Image Damage, Says Dobson
CrisisPR expert Brian Dobson says the Crisis-Arch™ in a major development is predicable yet BP was flat footed and slow to act at the outset of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Read more on PRWeb via Yahoo! News

Reuters

Photographs document early damage done by Gulf oil spill Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) Just look at the Oil drilling disaster in the Gulf. WHY is it that every other civilized nation on the planet, EXCEPT the USA, REQUIRES Oil drilling … Class Action Lawsuits Pile Up in Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill DisasterEco Factory BP says it will pay to clean up Gulf oil spillMarketWatch Gulf oil spill: a BP shareholder revolt?Los Angeles Times (blog) Examiner.com –UK Today News –Fast Company all 7,641 news articles »

View full post on gulf oil disaster updates – Google News

Obama Backs ‘Significantly’ Higher Damage Cap After BP Spill
May 5 (Bloomberg) — The Obama administration is backing “significantly” higher limits for damages BP Plc might face for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and won’t rule out scaling back plans to expand offshore drilling.

Read more on Bloomberg