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Democrats call on Congress to probe BP shutdown
binauralsounds
Posts: 1,357
Gee what a surprise! Knew this shit wouldn't take long! Dems nothin but a party of investigators. BP took steps in order to PREVENT another Valdez type DISASTER and they want to INVESTIGATE!! Why don't they spend more time investigating their strategies for 08? Bunch of friggin nit wits!
Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday called on the U.S. Congress to hold hearings into BP's operations in Alaska following a second oil pipeline rupture at its Prudhoe Bay operations over the weekend that will shut the 400,000 barrel-a-day oilfield.
"It is appalling that BP let this critical pipeline deteriorate to the point that a major production shutdown was necessary," said Rep. John Dingell, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a statement.
"The United States Congress has an obligation to hold hearings to determine what broke down here and what laws and regulations need to be improved to ensure problem pipelines like these are found and fixed earlier," Dingell said.
Democratic Rep. Edward Markey, who also serves on the House committee, said the shutdown reflects BP's chronic mismanagement of its U.S. drilling operations and that the company had been earning enough money to prevent the problem.
"With oil above $70 per barrel and BP making record profits, it can afford to properly clean and maintain its pipelines," Markey said in a statement.
Markey said the Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety needed the legal authority to require minimum maintenance standards and avoid such pipeline shutdowns.
"This sudden loss of production will dramatically increase oil prices and the American people will be footing the bill for this combined failure of DOT's regulatory oversight and BP's corporate responsibility," he said.
Congress is now out for its month-long summer recess, and any hearings on the shutdown would not take place until lawmakers return in early September.
In the meantime, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said the Bush administration should immediately release oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help offset the lost Alaska crude supplies.
Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said the government was prepared to make oil loans from the emergency stockpile to West Coast refiners if they requested the supplies.
Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday called on the U.S. Congress to hold hearings into BP's operations in Alaska following a second oil pipeline rupture at its Prudhoe Bay operations over the weekend that will shut the 400,000 barrel-a-day oilfield.
"It is appalling that BP let this critical pipeline deteriorate to the point that a major production shutdown was necessary," said Rep. John Dingell, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a statement.
"The United States Congress has an obligation to hold hearings to determine what broke down here and what laws and regulations need to be improved to ensure problem pipelines like these are found and fixed earlier," Dingell said.
Democratic Rep. Edward Markey, who also serves on the House committee, said the shutdown reflects BP's chronic mismanagement of its U.S. drilling operations and that the company had been earning enough money to prevent the problem.
"With oil above $70 per barrel and BP making record profits, it can afford to properly clean and maintain its pipelines," Markey said in a statement.
Markey said the Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety needed the legal authority to require minimum maintenance standards and avoid such pipeline shutdowns.
"This sudden loss of production will dramatically increase oil prices and the American people will be footing the bill for this combined failure of DOT's regulatory oversight and BP's corporate responsibility," he said.
Congress is now out for its month-long summer recess, and any hearings on the shutdown would not take place until lawmakers return in early September.
In the meantime, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said the Bush administration should immediately release oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help offset the lost Alaska crude supplies.
Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said the government was prepared to make oil loans from the emergency stockpile to West Coast refiners if they requested the supplies.
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Did you actually read the whole article?
I most certainly DID!!! The rep. is pissed they let it go SOOO LONG.. The dem wants to HOLD HEARINGS!!!
I'd rather see the Dems "HOLD HEARINGS" than see the GOP "FELLATE THE OIL INDUSTRY BY LETTING THEM WRITE ENERGY POLICY".
Son of a bitch... all they do is hold hearings. IF BP let it go, then they'd investigate why they let it go so long. I'm tellin ya, the democratic party better get their shit in order for 08 instead of breaking out the "INVESTIGATOR BADGE" every other day. It's starting to make them look like a bunch of friggin idiots.
And this comes from a very NON democratic party person.
...then I woke up.
There's only one organization that needs to do an investigation here. It's the one who actually directly suffers from these kinds of events -- BP.
THANK YOU!!!!! BINGO!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14219844/
Gheit said the problems with the pipeline should not be a surprise, adding it's been well known that oil companies are not doing enough regular maintenance on their infrastructure.
When oil prices were low, they were reluctant to spend on that kind of maintenance, he said. But when prices soared in recent years, the cost of shutting down a pipeline or other facilities for maintenance would have meant too much lost production.
"This thing has been in operation for more than 30 years. Corrosion has to happen. Something has to give," Gheit said. "This is going to be a warning to other companies."
"This sudden loss of production will dramatically increase oil prices and the American people will be footing the bill for this combined failure of DOT's regulatory oversight and BP's corporate responsibility."
"With oil above $70 per barrel and BP making record profits, it can afford to properly clean and maintain its pipelines"
why not give the 3 big U S auto makers, all struggling as a business, tax breaks for hybrids and biodiesel sales, make is easier for foreign car makers to export hybrid vehicles to the U S, take away the money that big oil gets from the fed and make is available to businesses involved in cutting our dependence on oil.
attack the Republicans on oil being a direct threat to our national security, Iran stopping oil exports would be a huge blow to the world, if Saudi jumps in and stops oil export for only a week, and the U S would suffer, we can make the changes, if our representatives would do would was right for us.
ok, this idea is oversimplified, but it would make a big difference, and it's a good start.
Stop by:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14678777351&ref=mf
So your solution for a "struggling business" is to ask them to make cars that few consumers seem to be interested in buying right now?
I'm ok with that.
Why not take away the money that big oil gets from the fed and make it available for the consumers who make the ultimate decisions on our dependence or independence from oil?
But it would be a bigger blow to Iran. So that's not going to happen.
Also not going to happen.
I'm not sure what representative power you've ceded, but I don't need any representation to do what's right for me. In fact those representatives you refer to seem only interested in using my rights and abilities to do what's right for themselves. So no thanks.
The concept of oil independence is a great start.
You think that Democrats are more in bed with oil companies than Republicans? That's a first for me.
What evidence do you have that Republicans have been doing anything to improve the situation?
Stop by:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14678777351&ref=mf
no, I'm saying I'm not sure if they are, or how much they are, they haven't done much to work on this issue, if they want the change and aren't afraid of big oil reprecutions, then attack the Republicans on oil being a national security issue and start the debate on what can be down to weed us off of oil. We have the capabilities to do it.
Stop by:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14678777351&ref=mf
The thing that bugs me is that BP is an independent BRITISH company. How in the bloody hell is it the fault of the Republicans that BP didn't maintain their portion of the pipeline? They own 26% of it. Part of their 26% failed. Are they not making enough in record profits to invest in their pipeline?
BP should be fined by the US Government for every day that their production is stopped due to their own profound negligence. The impact to the American consumer is already being felt, as prices of crude hit an all-time high. BP supplies nearly 8% of the oil that America consumes.
I'm anti-Republican, but this is about as much the Republican's fault as it is the fault of Frosty the flippin Snowman. Another cheap shot by a democratic party that has no ideas.
old music: http://www.myspace.com/slowloader
valid question that needs answering.
That is THE question...but the American congress will use this to point the fingers and place the blame on eachother...while their pockets get fatter right before your eyes. It's the old okey doke. They think we're all a bunch of suckers.
I urge you all to vote against every incumbant this November.
old music: http://www.myspace.com/slowloader