If you've ever worked for the gov't in any capacity then you know that there are people who are very good at their job and really care about their performance and making sure things are done right. But, you also know that there are equally if not more people who are just there to pick up their paycheck. The ultimate problem is that the agencies get so big that it's hard to keep them, specific employees, departments etc. accountable and running efficiently. Thus, it is no surprise that a rig/well with bad history one year passes with flying colors the next. All depends on who the inspector is and how he does his job.
Oil tar balls seen in Key West
- Thread starter Alwayslit
- Start date
Oh, I don't doubt it. Regulation is expensive. Deregulation is expensive, too. It's all about explicit costs vs. hidden costs. Right now we're seeing hidden costs come to light.
As for who does the regulation, I don't necessarily feel it *needs* to be the government. I just think it needs to be someone powerful enough to enforce, and can't be anyone who has a vested financial interest in the outcome. There just aren't a lot of players who fit the bill. Even the government is not really as neutral a party as we'd like to hope it would be, but I don't know who else can do it.
Sorry, btw, if my reply seemed a bit snarky, I'm used to being on the minority side of these sorts of things here. In reality I'm hopeful we may have found something we can agree on regardless of our political affiliations and candidates of choice - This shouldn't have happened. Something should be done to reduce the odds of it happening again.
-Charles
There have always been tar balls. The gulf leaks over a million barrels of oil through seepage annually. This is really blown way out of porprtion. Oil in its crude form is a natural substance. It will dissipate over time. This is not like the Valdez where the oil was refined. Press wanting to sell papers.
I grew up in Houston and we were at Galveston all summer. We always came home with tar all over our feet and toys. It was just part of going to the beach. I can say 4 million barrels in the water is a good thing for the environment, but I have heard several sources this is not going to be on the level as the Valdez.
Mitch
BOM 2/09-Keeper BOTtLe
I'm going diving with friends who live in Big Pine and are teachers in Key West this weekend. Last night they said they had seen tar picked out of the ocean. I'f I see anything while diving this weekend, I'll try to get pictures.
Sucks they might ruin some of the best scuba sites in my area.
Sucks they might ruin some of the best scuba sites in my area.
The tar balls are just people panicking. The actual oil washing up, though? That's a problem, dude, whether it sells papers or not. We're not talking about publicity shots of birds covered in oil here, we're talking about people in fishing and tourism industries losing their jobs.
Crude oil may be natural, still doesn't make me want to eat it or swim in it.
-Charles
The regulation already exists. I typically argue for no more if not less in certain areas. Emergency and disaster response is and has been for a long time a public (read govt) service and this falls into that category that is all.I agree 100%, though I must say I'm a little surprised to see you arguing for government regulation. When I say "regulation" around here i"m used to you guys responding with "OMGWTFBBQ!!! SOCIALIST!!!"
-Charles
Don't go getting all mushy because we kind of sort of in a way agreed on something.
