Did BP and Tony Hayward Do Less Damage Than Enron and Kenneth Lay
BP Filed a 582 Page Report to Federal Regulators
with plans on how BP would react to a major oil spill. The document was specific for the Gulf of Mexico and riddled with deception. BP claimed it had the capability to handle an oil spill of 20 million gallons per day. For one of BP’s response companies their was a link that went to a Japanese language page. BP listed a professor, who was an expert cleaning wildlife of oil, as a main contact in case of a major oil spill. Well, the professor had been deceased for several years. Accurate information was not important.
No wonder an Associated Press analysis described how BP officials were pretty much making it up as they went along. Also in the 582 page document was BP’s ability to have skimmers in the Gulf of Mexico so oil would not end up on the coastal states. Then when the oil spill actually happened they turned down help and CEO, Tony Hayward, again assured everyone oil would not reach the coastal states.
An accurate reading of how much oil was leaking would have allowed Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to better prepare for a catastrophe. Again, BP self righteously proclaimed they were trying to stop the oil leakage opposed to trying to measure the amount of oil leaking. Finally, after many wasted days, BP was pressured to give an account of how much oil was spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.
BP’s and President Obama’s Delayed Reaction
The delayed reaction of BP and President Obama made a horribly bad catastrophe, horribly worse. Turning away capable help from other countries and oil companies was unwise and foolish. BP even turned down the purchase of containment boom from a company that had over a mile of boom ready to use. People were warned not to take pictures of the oil spill. What were they hiding?
FACTS
Facts were hidden so BP could tell a different story. Just like safety measures were covered up and ignored as actual Deepwater Horizon rig survivors are testifying now.
Enron Can Be Dissolved But BP PLC Can Not?
Enron committed illegal financial activity which employees were not privy to at all. So innocent people lost their jobs because of Enron’s deceptive practices and most of the public rejoiced at Enron’s demise. Besides their jobs, many Enron employees lost their entire life savings in worthless stock. Yet the same individuals who are critical of those who want BP dissolved were all for Enron’s collapse.
There are hard working innocent employees at BP just like there were at Enron. There is a big difference though. Enron destroyed employees livelihoods as well as the hopes of many investors. BP PLC destroyed employees livelihoods, investors in the Gulf States economy, wildlife, the environment of the Gulf States for years to come and eleven oil rig workers lives were lost because of safety violations.
What The Average Citizen Can Do About Protesting For A Clean Environment
I read an interesting opinion in a local newspaper recently. A woman said she was brought up to express here opinions and was doing so by boycotting BP. She had heard the same accusations as others about how people hurt BP employees by boycotting them. Do not blame the concerned citizen who has no other recourse available to make a difference – except by expressing themselves at the pump. Blame the deceptive oil company like you did when Enron went bust.
Is This Saying You Should Boycott BP?
That is for you to decide. But understand, Enron and Kenneth Lay did less collateral damage than BP and Tony Hayward but didn’t get a break, and rightly so. Many will say but Enron broke the law. Oh, making up a document and submitting it to Federal Regulators so you can drill deep into the Gulf of Mexico, without the safety precautions you claim to have is not breaking the law. Pretending to have a BOP (Blow Out Preventor) properly functioning is ok when a non functional one can cause death and destruction.
Remember, it is the fault of the one who caused the catastrophe – not the people who are trying to prevent another one by boycotting BP. An environmental plan could have prevented a whole lot of misery.
