Saying Adios to Environmental Protection
Last Wednesday we said goodbye to the law that was enacted to protect the oceans after the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. Like essentially every other piece of environmental legislation that came from the Obama era, under the Trump administration, it’s either already gone or on its way out.
A few fun facts:
• largest and costliest oil spill in the nation’s history
• 210 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from a broken well
• covered more than 65,000 square miles
• killed 11 workers and untold numbers of wildlife
• devastated fisheries in several Gulf Coast states
• BP fined almost $62 billion
Arrivederci.
Craig,
Any reduction or alteration in safety regulation is bound to create anxiety and fear among everyone concerned for the environment.
Some apprehension is valid and reasonable, but a large percentage is based on emotion with little knowledge or insight.
BSEE director Scott Angelle explained in the opinions of a large number of experts who have spent the past 7 years examining the causes of oil spills and reviewing the development of new technology, some of the Obama era regulations may be obsolete and no longer serve any useful purpose.
A newer code would allow the US to achieve “energy dominance without sacrificing safety”.“It’s time for a paradigm shift in the way we regulate the US outer continental shelf .There was an assumption made previously that only more rules would increase safety, but ultimately it is not an either/or proposition. We can actually increase domestic energy production and increase safety and environmental protection.”
Some of the BSEE claims are self evident. Regulations governing the use of equipment no longer in manufacture would appear to be reasonable, so too would physical inspections the administration’s de-regulation efforts will save the energy industry $228m over the next decade, and the announcement was cheered by the offshore drilling industry.
Randall Luthi, President of the National Ocean Industries Association, added “The proposed revisions to the Production Safety Systems Rule mark an integral step in the regulatory reform promised by President Trump,” .
All very sensible and seemingly reasonable.
However, setting aside the more hysterical reactions by opponents is there really any genuine environmental concern in the regulatory review ?
You bet !
Some major issues stand out.
1) The review process conducted over 7 years did highlight a number of ‘over-kill’ regulations instituted during the hysteria of Deepwater Horizon. The study also revealed some regulations had become obsolete or redundant.
However, the President’s executive order seems to have the potential of throwing out the baby with the bath water! The recommendations of the review process didn’t go as far as the potential of the President’s sweeping order to excessively weaken safety measures.
2) The correct agency to regulate US offshore drilling, is the US Federal Government, not the States as this order encourages. States are too easily influenced and lack the proper resources to manage such a huge industry. Of course, Federal legislators and regulators should consult and include state issues and attitude in their deliberations, but essentially only Federal authority can regulate in the National interest.
3) I have no reason to believe BSEE director Scott Angelle is anything other than a hard working politician with a long record of honest and competent public service. His close involvement with the oil industry undoubtedly provides him with a lot of knowledge that helps him in his position. There is nothing in his background to suggest he has any other agenda than a person of integrity, sincerely doing his best.
But, that’s not the point! Even though the oil industry is essential to any modern economy, and oil extraction can never be made completely safe, nor does anyone sensible believe oil companies want to have spills, US citizens have a right to expect competent, independent and impartial agencies should have the responsibility of imposing and enforcing regulations, not the industry itself !
4) This process should have been conducted in a more open and public manner by Congress, not just the Executive. Or at the least, only removed obviously obsolete or redundant regulations.
I believe with this order, President Trump and Congress are placing too much faith in an industry prone to over continence and human error.