BP boss admits job on the line over Gulf oil spill

seafan

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Thu May-13-10 10:43 AM
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BP boss admits job on the line over Gulf oil spill

BP boss admits job on the line over Gulf oil spill

By Tim Webb
Thursday 13 May 2010 14.09 BST

Tony Hayward, CEO of BP, has admitted mistakes early on in the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill, and that he 'did not know' if his job was under threat. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

Tony Hayward, the under-fire chief executive of BP, has admitted for the first time that his job is on the line because of the Gulf of Mexico disaster.
In an interview with the Guardian at BP's crisis centre in Houston, Hayward also insisted that the leaked oil and the estimated 400,000 gallons of dispersant which BP has pumped into the sea to try to disperse the slick were relatively "tiny" amounts.

.....

Hayward stressed that BP's efforts to contain the spill had succeeded in dispersing the oil and preventing large amounts reaching the shoreline around the Gulf. But environmentalists are concerned about the unseen damage being done to marine life by the oil which is sinking to the seabed.

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But Hayward insisted that deepwater drilling would continue in the US despite the growing environmental and political backlash against the company.

"Apollo 13 did not stop the space race. Neither did the Air France plane last year coming out of Brazil stop the world airline industry flying people around the world. It's the same for the oil industry." He pointed out the Gulf of Mexico, much of it in deep waters, represented one third of the US's oil and gas production.

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Um, Mr. Hayward?

Your pathetic attempt to equate BP's catastrophe with Apollo 13's mission and the fate of a downed airliner is a failure, as neither of those events spewed untold millions of gallons of toxic sludge into our oceans and estuaries, wiping out untold numbers of wildlife and marine life, nor did they destroy generations of livelihood on the waters and on land.

So, why are you still in charge of this doomed company?

He also insisted that BP was in far better shape to respond to the disaster than it was five years ago under his predecessor Lord Browne. In 2005, 15 workers died in an explosion at BP's Texas refinery. BP was subsequently fined a record £53m by US authorities, who also criticised the company's safety culture. BP also suffered a pipeline leak in Alaska a year later.

"In the last four or five years we have made major improvements in safety performance. It has made the company much better … Four years ago it could have been very different," Hayward said.

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So, how do you justify cutting corners on a mile-deep well in a sensitive region by refusing to install a $500,000 acoustic switch to kill this well and others in the Gulf, in a catastrophic event such as this one? What about your foreknowledge of hydraulic leaks and a dead battery at the BOP on this well?

Are you proud of your record in safety violations and cost-cutting measures? Is this your idea of *safety performance*?

He also admitted that BP had made mistakes in its early response to the crisis. BP initially refused to compensate fishermen who were unable to produce written proof of their normal earnings even though most keep no such record. He also said BP had made a mistake when fishermen signing up to help with the relief effort were required to sign agreements limiting their receipt of any future damages from BP. "It was a bit bumpy to get it going. We made a few little mistakes early on."

The big question:

Why is the US Government continuing to allow a foreign oil company with a dismal track record to operate in our Gulf of Mexico with virtually non-existent regulations or required safeguards in place, only to watch BP executives shrug and offer insulting excuses when the whole enterprise explodes in our faces??

The kicker? This oil is sold on the open market, and does not stay in the US. Our waters are exploited and put at undue risk for foreign gain. And we are suffering the grave consequences of this.

How is this *cutting our addiction to oil*?

Meanwhile, in today's news:

The UK now has 40GW+ of offshore wind energy projects, 13 de mayo de 2010

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Out of the seven wind farm sites involved, five will be granted an extension of project area, while two will have more capacity added within the existing project boundaries. Industry experts believe that extending area or capacity of offshore wind farms will enable wind farm developers to deliver economies of scale both in terms of project delivery and in terms of operation and maintenance costs.

‘The UK now has 40GW+ of offshore wind projects at various stages of development, and has established itself as world leader with over 1GW installed.

When fully built out, this potential will supply a full third of our nation’s electricity, or more than 130 terawatt hours per annum. Since the beginning of the year we have seen investment totalling £0.5 billion, from some of the world’s best-known companies, backing this project. The zone extensions show the offshore revolution is well under way,’ commented Madigan.

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WHY IS THIS CATASTROPHIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSAULT BY THE GREED OF BIG OIL ALLOWED TO CONTINUE?

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joeybee12

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Thu May-13-10 10:44 AM
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1. Um, why is there even a question? On the line? How about, gone, kaput...

...put in prison?

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havocmom

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Thu May-13-10 10:47 AM
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2. His job on the line? Every asset he has AND his personal freedom should be on the line

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gateley

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Thu May-13-10 10:50 AM
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3. If any one of us were at the head of such a colossal fuck up, we'd have wind burn

from being tossed out the window so fast.

I'm sure he was full of hearty congratulations when BP weaseled out of complying with the safety requirements.

Enjoy your new leisure time with your fat bank account, Mr. Hayward -- may the screams of dying birds and gasping fish and tears of hungry families unable to work be the stuff of your dreams.

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ladjf

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Thu May-13-10 10:54 AM
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4. This guy has got to be kidding. He is going to be most fortunate

to avoid a jail term. nt

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