Shocker: BP's Response Plan Flawed!

Via NOLA.com:

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Professor Peter Lutz is listed in BP's 2009 response plan for a Gulf of Mexico oil spill as a national wildlife expert. He died in 2005.

Under the heading "sensitive biological resources," the plan lists marine mammals including walruses, sea otters, sea lions and seals. None lives anywhere near the Gulf
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BP PLC's 582-page regional spill plan for the Gulf, and its 52-page, site-specific plan for the Deepwater Horizon rig are riddled with omissions and glaring errors, according to an Associated Press analysis that details how BP officials have pretty much been making it up as they go along.

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The AP analysis of the response plans is scathing and damning. Go read the story at the link, if you've the stomach for it.

Given the tragically comic collection of "engineering" solutions the company has attempted over the last seven weeks, including top hats, top kills, junk shots and such, the fact that BP's planning documents were fatally flawed is no great surprise at all. No, the real shocker is that the government approved these documents last year.

Expert dead for four years?  No problem.  No adverse impacts to marine life such as turtles, birds and mammals?  No problem.  What's that?  Those critters don't even live in this part of the world?  No problemo, dude!  Pass the joint and party on!


Extra Point: Both BP and MMS mouthpieces said something to the effect that these issues are being "investigated." What's the likelihood that, when Mr. Holder announces the results of a criminal probe, BP executives are indicted, while MMS employees walk?

Birnbaum goes under the bus

On Thursday, President Obama fired Elizabeth Birnbaum, the woman he selected to head up the Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service.  MMS is the agency responsible for regulatory oversight of offshore oil and drilling and production.

Like her boss, prior to being put in charge of a large, complex organization with many employees and very serious responsibilities, Ms. Birnbaum had absolutely no management experience, whatsoever.  She was however, a very ardent and diligent environmental activist.

From 1987 through to 1991 she served as counsel for the National Wildlife Federation's Water Resources Program. Impressive management training there huh sports fans?

From 1991 to 1999 she was counsel for the House Committee on Natural Resources, where she handled really hard management stuff, including duties such as legislation writing and oversight activities for the U.S. Forest Service.

For the next two years, she did actually have a supervisory job. Kind of. She was Associate Solicitor for Mineral Resources from 2000 to 2001, where she "managed" a staff of several lawyers providing legal advice and litigation services for MMS.

From 2001-2007, she was Vice President for Government Affairs and General Counsel for American Rivers, and from 2007 until her appointment to head MMS in 2009, she was the staff director for the Committee on House Administration, where she oversaw really, really hard stuff like strategic planning for the agencies that serve the legislative branch. Architect of the Capital, House Historian... You know, important jobs that affect the lives and livelihoods of millions.

I'm sure Ms. Birnbaum is a nice, professional and well-meaning lady. I bear no ill will to her personally. But do you see anything in this resume that qualified her to head up an agency with the responsibilities of MMS?

UPDATE: Birnmbaum Bio

Extra Point: What are the chances Ms. Birnbaum lands a job in either the energy or the environmental litigation sectors?

A Culture of Substance Abuse and Promiscuity

The Obama regime plans to split up the Minerals Management Service, creating two agencies. The plan has yet to be fully developed, but regime officials familiar with the policy change told the AP that one agency would be responsible for safety and regulatory inspections and enforcement, while the other would be responsible for managing leases and collecting the billions in lease royalties.

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Currently, the Minerals Management Service, an arm of the Interior Department, is responsible for collecting more than $10 billion a year from oil and gas drilling and with enforcing laws and regulations that apply to drilling operations.

Some critics have said the two roles are in conflict and are one reason the agency has long been accused of being too cozy with the oil and natural gas industry.

An internal investigation in 2008 described a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by workers at the agency. The investigation by Interior's inspector general found workers at the MMS royalty collection office in Denver partied, had sex with and used drugs with energy company representatives. Workers also accepted gifts, ski trips and golf outings, the report by Inspector General Earl E. Devaney said.

The Associated Press: APNewsBreak: Salazar urges splitting energy agency

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Extra Point: No one is saying which agency gets the drugs and which one gets the promiscuity.