This spill is clearly an environmental disaster of unlimited and unequaled proportion. I do not have a problem with drilling and oil production, however there needs to be a plan in place for the oil industry ( all companies) and Energy Department should a worse case disaster like this happen. There clearly was no plan in place since oil is still gushing 30 days after the accident.

What have they done over the years, just kept there head’s in the sand hoping the worse case wouldn’t happen?

There should be on the books a plan for every oil rig, with hardware and tools manufactured and on the shelf ready for deployment for repair and confinement methods for every possible failure and especially the worse case failures such as this. The plans hardware needs to be designed and manufactured along with the design and manufacture of each rig.

I don’t say this lightly or from a vacuum. I say it from the experience of an industry that has such things in place, the Nuclear Industry with oversight from the NRC.

I really can’t believe that 30 days after this rigs failure, the OIL INDUSTRY with the Energy Department hasn’t been able to step up and solve this problem.

For 30 days we have heard more blame and seen more finger pointing than actual plans and action to resolve the gushing oil. And the press doesn’t help, they just relay the blamer and finger pointing. I have not heard anyone ask for a team of industry experts to help stop this disaster. Why isn’t the Industry acting as one? All the oil companies are going to feel the backlash from this one incident.

The OIL INDUSTRY and the Energy Department need to get their act together ONE ACT, two scenes in parallel and solve the two problems: STOP the Leak, Clean UP the Mess.

After that and the planet is again safe from this spill, their will be plenty of time for the blame game and further regulations.

Respectfully, from what I think is a well regulated industry.

John Whittaker
Nuclear Industry