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After weeks of oil spill hearings, it was obvious today, the issue still hits a raw nerve for many House members. At a hearing on Safety Regulations for "high risk wells." House members went head to head -- some demanding stronger safety regulations while others were vehement about protecting the oil industry.
Those supporting the bill claimed it would hold the oil industry more accountable to safety regulations, lowering the risk for future oil spills. Those opposed were convinced the oil and gas industry in America would be decimated if the bill passed, leaving Americans solely dependent on foreign energy sources and with out oil and gas related jobs. According to the opposition, a "high risk well" is ambiguous -- according to them, almost every well off shore and on shore could be considered "high risk." Opponents also argued, legislation cannot be passed on safety regulation until the investigation into the Horizon explosion was finished.
During opening statements, lawmakers were not only split down the aisle, but also by geographic location, as Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) pointed out, "There are regional differences between us; they are not partisan but regional."
Gulf coast region lawmakers also felt torn.
"It's difficult to stand in oil up to my ankle asking for more oil, but its important for our lives and our livelihood," said Rep. Melancon (R-LA).
However, partisan tensions did flare.
Rep. Scalise (R-LA) attacked the Obama administration's response to the Gulf, stating, "The oil is moving faster than the federal government; we need answers and leadership from the president and, unfortunately, we have neither."
Rep. Dingell fired back. "The reason for this mess in the gulf is the fact, for a long period of time we were, 'Drill, baby, drill." He then exclaimed that the Bush administration's Minerals Management Service "had become almost as corrupt as Sodom and Gomorrah."
Interior Deputy Secretary David Hayes supported the legislation, stating new safety regulations must be put in place. When asked by Rep. Green (D-TX) about what Green feared to be a "de facto moratorium on shallow wells," since the Horizon spill, Hayes stated, in a drawn out answer, "There are a number of permits now that are mature that we are looking to process. ... We expect more shallow-water drilling APDs to be granted in the near future."
Other Witnesses were John Martinez, consulting production engineer, Production Associates; and Elgie Holstein, senior director for strategic planning, Environmental Defense Fund.
Green: "Since a shallow well is 500 feet or less up until last week there were no permits issued ... because my fear is not only are we having a six-month moratorium on deep-water wells, but de facto moratorium on shallow wells where we do produce a lot of our natural gas. ... Do you have any personal information on any permits issued since Horizon for shallow-water drilling permits?"
Hayes: " I don't have the exact information, but I know there are a number of permits now that are mature and that we are looking to process. We had a notice to ... about 10 days ago requiring some additional information from folks on blowout scenarios. That information has been coming in and once that information is in.... APD decisions can be made, and so we talked about this with a group of industry folks at the department just about a couple of days ago. We expect more shallow-water drilling APDs to be granted in the near future. The is no moratorium on shallow water and we want to move it through, but we were requiring that operators meet the new safety requirements that were laid out in the 30-day report that has been strongly supported by industry we had folks in just a few days ago to confirm that. The there was this important gap in terms of the expiration plan -- having the description of the blow out scenarios and that's being filled now the combination of those two things will enable those permits to continue to be granted."
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This is going to be a toughie for the knee-jerk crowd here...and a show of where our "statesmen and women" respectively can truly be bipartisan-campaign contributions from the industry...:)
I have been in glenbeckistan for the last 30 min and thought I would post this before the lies all start again.
Operations and Ongoing Response – June 30, 2010
Deepwater Horizon Response – June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29 Statistics
RESPONSE VESSELS
Vessels of Opportunity: 3,000
Barges: more than 660
Skimmers: more than 510
Other Vessels: more than 2,680
Total active response vessels: more than 6,850
Aircraft: 122
BOOM DATA
Boom deployed: more than 2.76 million feet
Boom available: more than 856,000 feet
Total boom: more than 3.61 million feet
OIL RECOVERED
Oily water recovered: nearly 28.17 million gallons
Amount estimated burned: nearly 9.99 million gallons
Oil captured (CAP) over last 48hrs: more than 1 million gallons
DISPERSANTS
Surface dispersant used: more than 1.03 million gallons
Subsea dispersant used: more than 576,000 gallons
Total dispersant used: more than 1,606,000 gallons
PERSONNEL INVOLVED
Overall personnel responding: more than 42,000 personnel responding
Why that's as convincing as when Bush would list all of the countries in the "coalition of the willing"...the lack of coordination is the problem and listing numbers means nothing if they aren't being marshaled to address the situation...so get out of meaningless repeated stati-stan" and btw...never watch (or admit you watch) glen beck...
I have worked in the oil patch for forty yrs from apprentice to supervisor and have led upwards of 250 men and all associated equipment but not spread out over 4 states 42k men and all associated equip and on top of that dealing with lying, whining politicians and an unqualified media looking for every negative story they can find. Opinions and dumb questions are not facts, numbers and results are fact. I take the train to glenbeckistan to try and figure out where all the dunbassedness is coming from. The riechwing(regressive party) now fondly called the GOBP puts out one nonstop lie after another.
All the bickering needs to stop! We, the peoples of these United States need to demand our elected officials stop grandstanding and playing to the camera wasting time and our monies doing nothing except exchanging barbs.
The oil spill is a reality. Our deficit is large enough to gage Godzilla, give us a break. Accept that dispite your best wishes that man in the Black man White House, President Barack Obama, did a good thing. We won't have to eat all the bill in the clean up and recovery.
We realize you elected persons are all on that Big Business/Oil teat, however, our need far outdistances yours. Our patience has run out, our nerves are stretched to the breaking point. We are collectively sick and tired of all the bullcrap. Deal with it, forget saving BP, save us! Screw your bonus' this year, back up, take deep breaths and realize we are watching every nuance your every step you take. We recognize you lie to us, repeatedly. We've accepted it as something we can do nothing about.
You have F*cked up and awakened the sleeping giant, the heretofore uncounted, uncare for voters.
WE KNOW WE HAVE THE POWER TO OUST YOU! We know if you won't do the job, because you are so damned busy trying to slant an election at least 2 years away. We have urgent need now. We don't care about your GOP/DEM ideologies, your self interests. You had best realize our best interest is your only interest as of today!
You dilettantes calling yourselves Senators and Congressmen, need to realize those of us without that silver spoon resent you and your continued dedication to our ongoing misery. In your arrogance, you discount us. You have gotten so accustomed to fabricating election results, issues and distractions to the real issues, you forget we are not stupid. Despite the GOP attempt to 'dumb-down' America so we'd be too stupid to understand, we are not stupid. We see you! We watched as you sold us to line your pockets, we took it. We suffered the foreclosures on our homes, as you Bailed Out your portfolios and left us to loose everything.
Belatedly you remember our reactions because we are now more verbal in expressing displeasure, and your games began. We know there are no real differences between the parties, or something would be accomplished, and the crap could be stopped. The Dems can't get an energy bill out there. How hard can it be, Solar, subsidize it, let the desert states supply the rest of the country. Use the unemployed in the Gulf to build wind turbines and solar panels/towers and ship to the appropriate states. Take the unemployed from those states, retrain and get them to operating and upkeeping them. Do something!
It's a bet those fishermen would happily do a job that would save their homes/businesses. Convert them to temporarily building alternative energy methods. Proven methods. It would shove us a long way off the world oil teat, which is probably why it isn't being done.
You are so right, We are watching and we are not as gullible as you (Washington) think!
Very GOOD Post LDBean, you state things very succinctly and directly. Much appreciated and you for sure take my vote!