[ Video Courtesy of NTDTV ]
BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward apologized for the oil spill disaster and the damage it caused in the Gulf of Mexico before Congress on Capitol Hill this Thursday.
“[The Gulf of oil spill] never should have happened, and I’m deeply sorry that it did. ... I also deeply regret the impact the spill has had on the environment, the wildlife, and the ecosystem of the Gulf,” Hayward said.
Hayward was attacked with questions about poor safety regulations, the company’s irresponsibility with the procedures during maintenance of the drilling rig, the work ethic, and prior knowledge of potential dangers this rig could have caused.
With no concise answers about the cause of the spill and BP’s responsibility for it, Hayward bounced off questions with the answer that the investigation is ongoing. There have been, however, seven possible reasons for the breaking of the pipeline including the badly installed cementing and the cheap and unreliable well casing.
“We have focused like a laser on safe and reliable operations. ... We have made major changes,” said Hayward, referring to the situation of drilling rigs at BP three years ago, before Hayward became CEO. The oil spill incidents in Alaska and Texas were not of the same caliber but also received promises of improvement in safety procedures from oil companies of the same proportions.
The federal agency Mineral Management Service (MMS) was partially blamed for not following regulations outlining the proper inspection of the maintenance and safety of the drilling rig. The committee also expressed their agitation for not having any representatives from the MMS.
An activist and shrimper from Texas, Diane Wilson, shouted “You need to go to jail,” as Hayward began his testimony. Wilson’s hands and face were covered with what seemed to be oil.
Representative from Vermont, Peter Welch, ultimately asked Hayward if it is time for him to submit a resignation.BP
“[The Gulf of oil spill] never should have happened, and I’m deeply sorry that it did. ... I also deeply regret the impact the spill has had on the environment, the wildlife, and the ecosystem of the Gulf,” Hayward said.
Hayward was attacked with questions about poor safety regulations, the company’s irresponsibility with the procedures during maintenance of the drilling rig, the work ethic, and prior knowledge of potential dangers this rig could have caused.
With no concise answers about the cause of the spill and BP’s responsibility for it, Hayward bounced off questions with the answer that the investigation is ongoing. There have been, however, seven possible reasons for the breaking of the pipeline including the badly installed cementing and the cheap and unreliable well casing.
“We have focused like a laser on safe and reliable operations. ... We have made major changes,” said Hayward, referring to the situation of drilling rigs at BP three years ago, before Hayward became CEO. The oil spill incidents in Alaska and Texas were not of the same caliber but also received promises of improvement in safety procedures from oil companies of the same proportions.
The federal agency Mineral Management Service (MMS) was partially blamed for not following regulations outlining the proper inspection of the maintenance and safety of the drilling rig. The committee also expressed their agitation for not having any representatives from the MMS.
An activist and shrimper from Texas, Diane Wilson, shouted “You need to go to jail,” as Hayward began his testimony. Wilson’s hands and face were covered with what seemed to be oil.
Representative from Vermont, Peter Welch, ultimately asked Hayward if it is time for him to submit a resignation.BP
