Politicians + BP = Oily Mess

Deepwater Horizon Oil Platform

The recent destruction of the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil platform, and the resulting environmental disaster, is among the top news stories these days. Here are some quotes and facts that the news media might miss:

BP in Alaska

• Mar and Aug 2006: BP spills over 200,000 gallons of oil on the Alaskan tundra.
• Oct 2007: BP pleads guilty to criminal charges resulting from the Alaskan oil spill and pays $20 million in fines.
• 2 Oct 2008: The governor of Alaska at the time of the fine states: "It is safe to drill and we need to do more of that." -- Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), former chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

BP in Texas

• Mar 2005 - BP's Texas City refinery explodes, killing 15 and injuring about 200.
• Oct 2007: BP pleads guilty to felony charges resulting from the explosion, and pays $50 million in fines.
• Oct 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) levels a $87.4 million fine against BP "for the company's failure to correct potential hazards faced by employees." The fine is the largest in OSHA's history; the prior largest, $21 million, was issued in 2005, also against BP.
• 3 May 2010: The governor of Texas at the time of the Texas City disaster and the record fines against BP (and still governor, since he has not quit his elected post) states: "[BP] historically had a very good safety record from my perspective." -- Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

BP in Louisiana

• Nov 2006: The senior senator from Louisiana, discussing deep-sea oil drilling, states: "The environmentalists are wrong, actually: We can drill safely off the shores of America...." -- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
• Apr 2010: The Deepwater Horizon disaster off the coast of Louisiana kills 11 and injures 17; billions of dollars of destruction is expected.
• 29 April 2010: The Louisiana senator has an updated statement: "No one has ever claimed, including myself -- who is an unabashed proponent of the industry -- that drilling is risk-free." -- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

Texas City Refinery