(The Huffington Post) Channeling the nation's anger, our nation's lawmakers grilled BP's CEO in a withering day of judgment Thursday for the oil company at the center of the Gulf calamity. On Wednesday BP's Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg testified before Congress. On Thursday BP CEO Tony Hayward said he was "out of the loop" on decisions at the well and cooly asserted, "I'm not stonewalling." That infuriated members of Congress even more, Democrats and Republicans alike. Testifying as oil's still surging into the Gulf of Mexico and as it's continually coating more coastal lands and marshes, Hayward declared, "I am so devastated with this accident," "deeply sorry" and "so distraught." He stated that sarcastically as far as I'm concerned. He disclaimed knowledge of any of the myriad problems on and under the Deepwater Horizon rig before the deadly explosion, saying at a Congressional hearing he had only heard about the well earlier in April, the month of the explosion, when the BP drilling team told him it had found oil.
Hayward told Henry Waxman (D-Calif), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, "I'm not stonewalling. "I simply was not involved in the decision-making process." Hayward told Rep. Michal Burgess of Texas, "With respect sir, we drill hundreds of wells a year around the world." Burgess shot back, "Yes I know. That's what scaring me right now." Tony Hayward needs to be terminated from his position as CEO of BP. He doesn't seem too concerned about the fact that the well hasn't been capped yet and millions of gallons of oil are spilling into the Gulf. It doesn't appear there's any sense of urgency among Hayward or BP's management to stop this leak quickly. This hearing was nothing but a dog-and-pony show, as far as I'm concerned. The government has a cozy relationship with the oil industry, which includes the Obama administration as well. BP even helped craft legislation for the cap and trade bill that Congress wants to push.
According to the statement that BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, they seem to possess the attitude that they (the executives at BP) are "big" people and the people along the Gulf Coast are "small people." He made reference to those along the Coast as "little people." It's easy when you're an executive of a huge corporation to view yourself in a highly exalted position and those below as small people or peasants. The livelihood of millions of Gulf Coast are being wiped out with the oil contaminating the coastlands and marshes. A large percentage of the U.S.'s shrimp is imported along the Gulf Coast. Wildlife, marine life, and the economy are being destroyed due to the out-of-control oil spill. Tony Hayward and the BP chairman seem unconcerned. Hayward even stated he "wanted his life back." What life has he lost? He's sitting on top of the world. He's not one of the residents along the Gulf Coast that has to wonder what kind of job he's going to have to locate to make a living. The fishing business is being wiped out with the massive oil spill. Hayward and the other BP executives aren't having to suffer through this.
It's true that BP and many other oil companies drill numerous wells on a yearly basis. It's true that the Deepwater Horizon Rig isn't the only rig they were responsible for. However, whenever a catastrophic oil spill occurs due to an explosion, there needs to be a focus on a quick method to shut off the spewing oil as well as they need to assume responsibility for the costs of the damage done to Gulf Coast residents and the cleanup effort. There needs to be people delegated specifically to handle that emergency. Also, the CEO needs to be briefed daily on that incident. As Harry Truman used to say, "The buck stops here." That should be priority number one. The oil that's spewing from the damaged wellhead is a waste of money. He should focus on putting together a team to cap off the well. They also need to change strategy when it comes to drilling for oil in the long term. They need to look into the cause of the explosion so as to not repeat the same mistake again. Shortcuts can be very deadly when it compromises safety. Eleven rig members are deceased. They've lost more money than saved by using shortcuts that resulted in the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Some shortcuts are dangerous. If they used heavy drilling mud for the well instead of sea water, then possibly methane gas wouldn't have escaped which supposedly caused the explosion. It's time for a change of guard at BP. BP needs a new CEO, chairman, and possible a new executive team. BP needs leadership that will take responsibility for their mistakes. They need leadership that will be proactive in stopping this oil leak. They need leaders that won't compromise when it comes to proper procedures in drilling for oil. This oil spill is the worst oil spill ever in U.S. history. It's going to be an ecological nightmare. The ramifications of this incident is yet to be seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment