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Congress' Gulf Oil Spill Response Given a 'D' By Commissioners

Posted by Soulskill on from the they-sure-talked-about-it-for-a-few-weeks dept.

ananyo writes "Many of the problems that led to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill have not been addressed, say the members of a commission set up by U.S. President Barack Obama to study the disaster. The group released a report today (PDF) on progress towards its 2011 recommendations for preventing future disasters and improving spill response. The U.S. Congress fares worst in the new report, earning a 'D' rating for its failure to enact any meaningful legislation in response to the disaster. The Restore Act would allocate 80% of any fines that BP pays for the spill under the Clean Water Act to restoring the environment and economies of the states in the Gulf of Mexico, but the act has stalled in the House of Representatives. The Obama administration did better, with a B, thanks in part to new drilling regulations, while the oil industry's efforts to improve safety saw it awarded a C+."

5 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Self-evaluation. by GodInHell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Obama's administration gave itself a 'B' . . . dude needs to learn how "patting yourself on the back" is supposed to work.

    1. Re:Self-evaluation. by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Still two orders of magnitude below flying onto an aircraft carrier deck in a flight suit under a huge "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" sign.

    2. Re:Self-evaluation. by Norwell+Bob · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We need a new Godwin's Law regarding the invocation of Bush. The parent specifically brought up Obama's administration... but you can't make a criticism of Obama without people immediately saying something along the lines of, "Yeah? Well, what about the time that Bush did yada-yada-yah? Huh?"

      Also, I realize I am opening up a whole new branch of Bush-as-Hitler metaphors. Resist the temptation, people. That shit is old.

  2. I'll give them a passing grade... by flaming+error · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... for doing nothing. This was, as I understand it, more a problem of lax regulation than lack of regulation.

    I don't like the "but we must do SOMEthing" philosophy. Most problems are caused by solutions.

    1. Re:I'll give them a passing grade... by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The free market isn't free when the laws are purchased.