Posted by admin in Climate Change, Green Articles, featured | 0 Comments
BP oil spill will prompt other companies to reevaluate emergency procedures
Warning: strip_tags() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in /home/propelea/public_html/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 631
The recent BP oil disaster is considered the largest offshore spill in the history of the United States, with tens of millions of gallons leaking into the Gulf of Mexico to date. Despite efforts being made by the UK-based company to repair the situation, the United States government has been unrelenting in its demands for restitution for the oil spill.
The United States government named BP as the sole responsible party for the leak and will be held accountable for all cleanup costs. While the company has worked with the U.S. government to make sure the problem is resolved successfully, American demands appear to be burdening BP. The situation has escalated to the point that BP may be forced to rebuff the United States’ demands, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
"The current political movement by the U.S. government is basically an unlimited liability," John Hofmeister, the former Shell Oil president, told the Chronicle. "At what point are they willing to offend or even alienate certain government officials in the interest of the enterprise because the alternative would basically be to give up the enterprise?"
BP has already spent 1.6 billion to plug the leak. The oil company has crews working around the clock in an attempt to curtail damage done to the environment, including marine habitats and hundreds of miles of beaches. In addition to cleaning the spill, BP must also pay businesses affected by the disaster. Industries most severely impacted by the spill include the Gulf of Mexico fishing and tourism sectors.
The disastrous spill will at least prompt BP and other companies to reevaluate their safety procedures to prevent future catastrophes, said Constellation Energy Group CEO Mayo Shattuck. Directors will now focus on these "what-if" scenarios more seriously.
"The board often has to step in and make sure the management team understands and appreciates the balance across all constituencies," he said.
Almost exactly 31 years ago, the Ixtoc I oil spill occurred. Until the BP spill, the Ixtoc I leak was the largest of all time, with more than three million barrels worth of oil dispersed into the Gulf of Mexico.
Related Posts
