Posted on 03/14/2012 6:40:37 PM PDT by Libloather
Oil spill commission reuniting to press for drilling reforms
By Andrew Restuccia - 03/14/12 10:47 AM ET
Members of the national oil spill commission are reuniting to monitor the federal governments progress in implementing a series of drilling safety recommendations put forward by the panel last year.
The seven-member commission, which was tasked by President Obama with investigating the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, is forming what it calls Oil Spill Commission Action.
The new group will issue a report in April assessing government and industry efforts to enhance safety and environmental standards in the aftermath of the spill, which dumped 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. The reports release will coincide with the two-year anniversary of the April 20, 2010, disaster.
The commissioners have become increasingly concerned that efforts to implement the recommendations are ebbing in spite of all that still needs to be done, William Reilly, co-chairman of the commission, said in a statement.
The commission issued a report in January of 2011 citing systemic problems within the oil industry, warning that another disaster could occur without major reforms within both the industry and the federal government.
In the months after the spill, the Interior Department issued a slew of more stringent offshore drilling safety regulations and restructured the departments offshore drilling arm. The oil industry is working separately to improve oil spill containment technology and ensure that companies are better prepared to deal with well blowouts.
But the commission said Wednesday that more action is needed.
We intend to do our best to ensure that the public and other stakeholders do not lose sight of the problems we identified and the actions needed to mitigate future spills like the Deepwater Horizon, Bob Graham, the commissions other co-chairman, said in a statement.
Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke, a member of the commission, added, "If America is to have the safest operations in the fragile offshore environment, its essential that our recommendations be implemented. Vigilance and oversight of the oil industry are essential to the protection of the public's interest."
Filling in his NCAA basketball brackets.
Just when you thought it was safe to start drilling... But Noooooooooo... Where do they get the authority to reconvene? How convenient for the Ecos.
ON to $7/gal.
“Spill” is the wrong word. The oil did not get pulled down by gravity, as all spills do. Rather the oil floated up despite gravity.
How could this be, you might ask?
Harken back to the site of the oil, and what was observed was a blowout preventer that did not prevent the oil well from blowing out.
IT WAS A CLASSIC BLOWOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thus, the Government can’t even get the correct name for the commission that it is investigating, regulating and otherwise doing typical Government harassment on a blowout that they think is a spill.
With that ignoramus beginning all they need are commissioners who are pointy-headed, pseudo-intellectuals, who can’t even park a bicycle straight.
Drilling reforms will begin early next year, bringing to fruition the drilling reform we’ll be voting on in November. Thanks Libloather.
Isn't O'Bambi just the greatest! He's going to fix the gas price problem by forming a commission to set new standards for drilling so we can increase the supply of domestic oil.
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