Big Oil and more regulations for Big Government
July 12th 2010 23:50
“On June 23, 2010 we learned that U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman, in New Orleans, Louisiana, has issued a preliminary injunction against the Obama administration's ban on deep water offshore drilling. President Obama had ordered a six month moratorium on drilling at depths of more than 500 feet, in response to the continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in response to the ruling: "The president strongly believes, as the Department of Interior and Department of Justice argued yesterday, that continuing to drill at these depths without knowing what happened does not make any sense".
While Gibbs argued that such drilling "potentially puts safety of those on the rigs, the safety of the environment and the Gulf at a danger that the president does not believe we can afford right now," Judge Feldman disagreed, saying in his ruling, "the court is unable to divine or fathom a relationship between the findings (of the government) and the immense scope of the moratorium. The plaintiffs assert that they have suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable harm as a result of the moratorium. The court agrees."
Gibbs said that the Obama administration would immediately appeal the ruling” (report WFN.TV, 2010) . Today the news stations are reporting the President Obama is again proposing another moratorium on drilling in the water or on land. Is he vilifying another industry or protecting the United States who is so dependant or foreign countries (who really do not like the United States) for oil?
However in a relatively new bill (Rep. Charlie Rangel) which we have discussed in a previous post has be updated – Section 431 of the bill places new restrictions on Oil Companies and the liability they will face in light of another oil spill. The language is inserted below. And is directly taken from H.R. 4213 and you can find the bill in its entirety at Really Long Link
SEC. 431. MODIFICATIONS WITH RESPECT TO OIL SPILL LIABILITY TRUST FUND.
(a) Extension of Application of Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Financing Rate- Paragraph (2) of section 4611(f) is amended by striking `December 31, 2017' and inserting `December 31, 2020'.
(b) Increase in Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Financing Rate- Subparagraph (B) of section 4611(c)(2) is amended to read as follows:
`(B) the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund financing rate is 34 cents a barrel.'.
(c) Increase in Per Incident Limitations on Expenditures- Subparagraph (A) of section 9509(c)(2) is amended--
(1) by striking `$1,000,000,000' in clause (i) and inserting `$5,000,000,000';
(2) by striking `$500,000,000' in clause (ii) and inserting `$2,500,000,000'; and
(3) by striking `$1,000,000,000 PER INCIDENT, ETC' in the heading and inserting `PER INCIDENT LIMITATIONS'.
(d) Effective Date-
(1) EXTENSION OF FINANCING RATE- Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) INCREASE IN FINANCING RATE- The amendment made by subsection (b) shall apply to crude oil received and petroleum products entered during calendar quarters beginning more than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Now I know that BP does have a lot of responsibility in the oil spill mess and we all know that lawsuits are going to be a will be pending for many years but our the slow reaction of our nations leadership has made this problem greater. So who is going to regulate them no one because no one is talking about the leadership of Governor Jindal and the state law makers State lawmakers complained Thursday about the federal response to the vast spill, which was closing in on the coast Thursday.
While Jindal wouldn't outright criticize federal efforts, he repeatedly noted that he's asked for more equipment and people to beef up containment and cleanup efforts — and more information.
Jindal said he's asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the Coast Guard and oil company BP PLC "to see more boots on the ground."
It's not a matter of being able to reach federal and BP people in charge, he said. "We've had great communication, but what we're looking for now are quantifiable assurances that there will be the adequate resources to not only protect the coast, but clean up afterward."
On the Louisiana House floor Thursday, state lawmakers said the federal response had been lackluster, and coordination between federal and state officials lacking.
"I sense — he didn't say it — but I feel that the governor was very frustrated with the federal response," said Rep. Mack "Bodi" White, R-Central, chairman of the House homeland security committee (DeSlatte, 2010).
Or this interview with Gov Jindal on “This week” says he told President Obama “for us, it’s trust but verify.”
““You know, it’s that old saying that we’ve heard promises, we want to see that happen on the ground,” Jindal said.
The President met with Jindal and other state and local leaders on Friday. After that meeting, in a Sunday show exclusive, Jindal told 'This Week' anchor Jake Tapper that he was direct with the President: “We need more local decision-making authority.”
“We asked for senior Coast Guard officials to be put in each coastal parish,” the governor said he told the president.
When asked whether he agreed with Obama’s claim that the government was doing everything it could, Jindal said, “I think there could have been a greater sense of urgency.”
Jindal recounted to 'This Week' host Jake Tapper one instance where BP and federal government bureaucracy got in the way of the cleanup.
"Terrebonne Parish…submitted a plan for 180,000 feet of hard boom. The Coast Guard approved them for 90,000 feet. A week ago Friday, they didn't even have 90,000 feet. They didn't have that much boom, hard boom, in the parish…”
Tapper asked the governor what happened next.
“Well, in that case, they literally had hard boom sitting on the dock and they didn't deploy it,” Jindal said. “There was no excuse. The BP contractor said BP told them not to do it until the oil was coming. NOAA projections showed for days, and we saw the oil ourselves.”
“We finally brought the Coast Guard captain that was in charge of Louisiana's response with us on a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter, showed him the oil on the island, showed him the sheen in the bay, showed him the oil coming into that area, and said this needs to be boomed. He agreed it needed to be boomed,” Jindal said.
The boom was finally deployed.
So I say do we need more legislation or more action and if we keep refine the rules or legislating the oil industry then one needs to ask. Will they come here to help us refine the oil we have, if not what about those jobs we could desperately use right now and will be then ever become energy independent? “(Tapper, 2010)
References:
1 Really Long Link
2. Really Long Link
3. Really Long Link
4. Really Long Link
Reminder to review the finance reform bill and tell your senators how you would like them to vote this will be coming to the floor this week if Scott Brown has truly changed his mind and will be voting yes.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in response to the ruling: "The president strongly believes, as the Department of Interior and Department of Justice argued yesterday, that continuing to drill at these depths without knowing what happened does not make any sense".
Gibbs said that the Obama administration would immediately appeal the ruling” (report WFN.TV, 2010) . Today the news stations are reporting the President Obama is again proposing another moratorium on drilling in the water or on land. Is he vilifying another industry or protecting the United States who is so dependant or foreign countries (who really do not like the United States) for oil?
However in a relatively new bill (Rep. Charlie Rangel) which we have discussed in a previous post has be updated – Section 431 of the bill places new restrictions on Oil Companies and the liability they will face in light of another oil spill. The language is inserted below. And is directly taken from H.R. 4213 and you can find the bill in its entirety at Really Long Link
SEC. 431. MODIFICATIONS WITH RESPECT TO OIL SPILL LIABILITY TRUST FUND.
(a) Extension of Application of Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Financing Rate- Paragraph (2) of section 4611(f) is amended by striking `December 31, 2017' and inserting `December 31, 2020'.
(b) Increase in Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Financing Rate- Subparagraph (B) of section 4611(c)(2) is amended to read as follows:
`(B) the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund financing rate is 34 cents a barrel.'.
(c) Increase in Per Incident Limitations on Expenditures- Subparagraph (A) of section 9509(c)(2) is amended--
(1) by striking `$1,000,000,000' in clause (i) and inserting `$5,000,000,000';
(2) by striking `$500,000,000' in clause (ii) and inserting `$2,500,000,000'; and
(3) by striking `$1,000,000,000 PER INCIDENT, ETC' in the heading and inserting `PER INCIDENT LIMITATIONS'.
(d) Effective Date-
(1) EXTENSION OF FINANCING RATE- Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) INCREASE IN FINANCING RATE- The amendment made by subsection (b) shall apply to crude oil received and petroleum products entered during calendar quarters beginning more than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Now I know that BP does have a lot of responsibility in the oil spill mess and we all know that lawsuits are going to be a will be pending for many years but our the slow reaction of our nations leadership has made this problem greater. So who is going to regulate them no one because no one is talking about the leadership of Governor Jindal and the state law makers State lawmakers complained Thursday about the federal response to the vast spill, which was closing in on the coast Thursday.
While Jindal wouldn't outright criticize federal efforts, he repeatedly noted that he's asked for more equipment and people to beef up containment and cleanup efforts — and more information.
Jindal said he's asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the Coast Guard and oil company BP PLC "to see more boots on the ground."
It's not a matter of being able to reach federal and BP people in charge, he said. "We've had great communication, but what we're looking for now are quantifiable assurances that there will be the adequate resources to not only protect the coast, but clean up afterward."
On the Louisiana House floor Thursday, state lawmakers said the federal response had been lackluster, and coordination between federal and state officials lacking.
"I sense — he didn't say it — but I feel that the governor was very frustrated with the federal response," said Rep. Mack "Bodi" White, R-Central, chairman of the House homeland security committee (DeSlatte, 2010).
Or this interview with Gov Jindal on “This week” says he told President Obama “for us, it’s trust but verify.”
““You know, it’s that old saying that we’ve heard promises, we want to see that happen on the ground,” Jindal said.
The President met with Jindal and other state and local leaders on Friday. After that meeting, in a Sunday show exclusive, Jindal told 'This Week' anchor Jake Tapper that he was direct with the President: “We need more local decision-making authority.”
“We asked for senior Coast Guard officials to be put in each coastal parish,” the governor said he told the president.
When asked whether he agreed with Obama’s claim that the government was doing everything it could, Jindal said, “I think there could have been a greater sense of urgency.”
Jindal recounted to 'This Week' host Jake Tapper one instance where BP and federal government bureaucracy got in the way of the cleanup.
"Terrebonne Parish…submitted a plan for 180,000 feet of hard boom. The Coast Guard approved them for 90,000 feet. A week ago Friday, they didn't even have 90,000 feet. They didn't have that much boom, hard boom, in the parish…”
Tapper asked the governor what happened next.
“Well, in that case, they literally had hard boom sitting on the dock and they didn't deploy it,” Jindal said. “There was no excuse. The BP contractor said BP told them not to do it until the oil was coming. NOAA projections showed for days, and we saw the oil ourselves.”
“We finally brought the Coast Guard captain that was in charge of Louisiana's response with us on a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter, showed him the oil on the island, showed him the sheen in the bay, showed him the oil coming into that area, and said this needs to be boomed. He agreed it needed to be boomed,” Jindal said.
The boom was finally deployed.
So I say do we need more legislation or more action and if we keep refine the rules or legislating the oil industry then one needs to ask. Will they come here to help us refine the oil we have, if not what about those jobs we could desperately use right now and will be then ever become energy independent? “(Tapper, 2010)
References:
1 Really Long Link
2. Really Long Link
3. Really Long Link
4. Really Long Link
Reminder to review the finance reform bill and tell your senators how you would like them to vote this will be coming to the floor this week if Scott Brown has truly changed his mind and will be voting yes.
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