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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: coug who wrote (80038)	5/12/2010 10:22:55 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

The Price and Who Pays: Updates From the Gulf nytimes.com <<...Under a 1990 federal law, the primary leaseholder of the well, BP, is responsible for picking up the lion’s share of the cleanup costs. Anadarko Petroleum and Matsui Oil Exploration together own 35 percent of the lease, and they would pay that share of expenses. The law requires BP and the other leaseholders to pay an unlimited amount in direct cleanup costs. Their liability for other damage, such as ruined fisheries and lost tourist revenue, is legally capped at $75 million, although the company says it is willing to pay claims beyond that. Above the cap, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, financed by a tax on oil companies, is supposed to pick up the tab, up to a total of $1 billion. Craig Bennett, the director of the Coast Guard’s National Pollution Funds Center, said that as of Wednesday morning, BP had received 6,414 claims, mostly from fishermen for lost wages and damage to their boats. He said the company had paid out $2.5 million so far, and “they have not denied any claims yet.” On Wednesday, President Obama proposed legislation to create a variety of emergency programs to advance money to people affected by the spill, bolster the trust fund through a higher tax on oil companies and raise the overall spending limit to $1.5 billion per accident. Separate legislation already introduced would raise a company’s cap on liability to $10 billion. If it is found that BP was grossly negligent or broke federal safety regulations, there is no limit to what it must pay. Insurance companies are likely to pay some costs, and BP’s contractors could also face claims. Those contractors include Transocean, the rig’s operator; Halliburton, the company responsible for cementing the well; and Cameron International, the maker of the blowout preventer, a device designed to shut off a well...>>

To: coug who wrote (80038)	5/13/2010 6:22:31 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Oil Spill Defendants Continue to Play Blame Game / By Tresa Baldas The National Law Journal May 13, 2010 The finger-pointing game over the still-gushing oil disaster came full circle on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Cameron International Corp. completed the circle when CEO Jack Moore laid the blame elsewhere in trying to explain to a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee what caused the April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Moore, whose company supplied the blowout preventers that allegedly failed, testified that it created the safety devices pursuant to BP Plc's specifications. That testimony came a day after senior executives with BP, Halliburton Energy Services Inc. and Transocean Ltd. -- the three other main defendants in the oil spill litigation -- had already blamed each other in testimony before two Senate committees. BP America Chairman Lamar McKay said that, although BP is responsible for cleaning up the oil mess because it was operating the rig, the failure of the safety device was Transocean's responsibility because it owned the rig. Not so, countered Transocean CEO Steven Newman, who said that drilling projects "begin and end" with the operator -- in this case, BP -- and that a cementing job by Halliburton might have been a factor in the accident. But Halliburton executive Timothy Probert testified that his company's cementing job was done to BP's specifications. The blame game has at least one plaintiffs lawyer bracing for a long, heated battle. "Either all of the potential liable parties will make an agreement and make an effort to pay claims, or they'll fight it out and be shooting at each other," said Tony Buzbee of Houston's Buzbee Law Firm, which has seven oil suits and a dozen more in the pipeline. "I think they'll fight it out. It's already clear based on the congressional testimony." In particular, "BP is working hard to place blame on everyone," Buzbee said, adding, "BP is going to make Christmas this year very good for a lot of defense lawyers."

To: coug who wrote (80038)	5/14/2010 12:14:17 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Insanity: Shell given the OK to drill in Arctic dailykos.com

To: coug who wrote (80038)	5/14/2010 4:55:14 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Obama needs to make it VERY clear to all U.S. citizens that oil acquired by offshore oil drilling does nothing to contribute to our energy independence. It doesn't become "American" oil simply because it came from off our shores. All oil simply goes onto the world market...and oil is "a dirty" fuel (just like coal)...Global warming is real and our country has not been a world leader in developing and rolling out Green Technologies on a massive scale...The argument that America needs oil from our backyard for energy security doesn't hold water at all. I wish Obama had used his political capital in his first year on a dramatic new clean energy plan rather than health care reform...Without getting off oil quickly and efficiently it won't matter if everyone has health insurance -- we won't be living in a sustainable world. It's reckless to talk about more offshore drilling -- BP has clearly demonstrated that it can't be done safely in U.S. waters and the country needs to cut back on oil consumption now...this will take bold and sustained presidential leadership...Less than $5 Billion of the Stimulus dollars went into Alternative Energy projects - that's not enough at all...Look how China is outspending our country on Wind and Solar by a huge factor...And experts say it will cost over $100 Billion to roll out a new Clean Energy Grid across the country...what are we waiting for...?? That's the only way to get true energy security -- and it's more important than ANY war spending we may be doing over in Iraq or Afghanistan...But Obama will have to use the bullypulpit to make the case to the people of our country...and intense pressure must be applied on Congress to move in the right direction.