Gulf spill raises questions about Exxon Valdez law Twenty years ago, Congress passed a law to deal w

When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker hit a reef and dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound in March 1989, Congress jumped on the public attention and passed sweeping legislation requiring companies to take steps to prevent spills and to develop detailed containment and cleanup plans.

The Oil Pollution Act -- signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in August 1990 -- seemed like a resounding bipartisan success at a time when Democrats and Republicans essentially split control of Congress and the White House. But today, as the country grapples with what may be an even bigger spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there are questions about whether the 1990 law was really that effective.

Advocates for stronger federal oversight of the drilling industry say industry pressure back then led to a watered-down law. “We felt it all the way. We knew they were fighting us," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., an original co-sponsor.

But Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska -- who helped craft the law in the House with the late-Rep. Gerry Studds, D-Mass., then chairman of the now-defunct House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee -- says it has stood the test of time.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/05/06/oil_spill_law_exxon_liability_issue

It should be questioned, but this is what is dictating how they work this spill and WHY BP is in charge of the cleanup...

It should be changed, and as usual it will after some blood, pelican, human, don't matter. That is the way it usually happens... not in the US, this is human nature.

by the way lovely :sarcasm: GOP members of the Libertarian streak are trying to stop even talk of this... gee we wonder why.

Canada that little country north of us, run mostly by liberals, requires that the relief well be drilled simultaneously

let me see what i can google for you

and I've heard it twice.

Though I did like Steiner's explanation of WHY we will end up doing a relief well.

relief well policy under review

Environment Minister Jim Prentice said the National Energy Board, a federal independent agency that regulates parts of Canada's energy sector, is reviewing its policies on relief wells.

"We have amongst the most robust offshore drilling policies anywhere in the world that applies in Canadian waters," Prentice said, adding that no exploratory wells are authorized in the outer Beaufort Sea now.

"The National Energy Board is, in any event, reviewing its relief well policy. They obviously will be attentive to how this develops."

Oil and gas companies that want to drill in the Arctic must first get regulatory approvals from the National Energy Board. To do that, they must show they will drill relief wells in case of an accident or provide an alternative safety plan.

Oil companies have argued relief wells in the North are not practical, since it would take too long to drill them if there is an accident.

CBC News | May 4, 2010
http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/arctic/5220-gulf-spill-raises-offshore-drilling-concerns-in-canada

Oil and gas companies that want to drill in the Arctic must first get regulatory approvals from the National Energy Board. To do that, they must show they will drill relief wells in case of an accident or provide an alternative safety plan.

That is in case of an emergency. Not as SOP when they drill the primary well. Here they already started the relief well. Problem is... and this is maddening as hell, it takes months to dig one of these.

I wish it was different, and they could be done faster...

On the plus side, BP should not be cutting corners on this... they have the feds breathing down their necks...

Steiner did state though why they are pretty much standard when this happens. And on the bright side, the success rate is 100%

I thought it was too weak back when they passed it.

And the number one thing on my list is a requirement that they drill a relief well along side ALL exploratory off shore wells and anything in water over 2000 feet must have TWO relief wells drilled along side the exploratory well.

Also required state and federal government to have their own containment and cleanup plans.

For major oil spills, the fed was put in charge of coordinating the response.