I just had to weigh in on the madness, the absolute jackassery that’s been unfolding in the Gulf.
The AP reported today that since the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, up to two million barrels of oil per day may have been leaking into the Gulf before BP managed to cap the busted well on June 3 and start capturing some of the rogue oil. In other words, BP has done its very best to foul our environment on an unprecedented scale. Given BP’s rather callous response to the environmental cataclysm they’ve unleashed in the Gulf, I’m convinced that they, along with their metanat corporate cronies, are secretly constructing a lunar colony on the dark side of the moon, to be completed right around the time they finish rendering this planet unfit for human habitation. Otherwise, the studied indifference of BP CEO Tony Hayward and his mates to this disaster is hard to fathom.
Assuming that the planned relief wells work and the massive oilgasm in the Gulf eventually ceases, we still need to clean up this huge mess. Problem is, our current clean-up techniques are not terribly effective. We’ve all seen the pictures of determined folks in Gulf states erecting sand berms, bagging tar balls that wash up on the beaches, using shop vac-like devices to vacuum up oily water, etc. While I commend these people for getting out there and doing the best they can, these measures are just not going to get the job done. To give you an example, the cleanup effort after the Exxon Valdez dumped over 10 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound utilized the same methods, cost 2 billion dollars and recovered an estimated eight percent of the oil.
Enter Kevin Costner’s sea vacuum. Around May 20, various sources reported that Costner and his company, Ocean Therapy Solutions, had approached BP with these devices. Basically the sea vacuum is a giant centrifuge that takes in contaminated water, spins it at speeds generating up to 600 times the force of gravity and spits out 99% pure water on one end and usable oil on the other. According to Ocean Therapy, each sea vac is capable of cleaning 210,000 gallons of water a day.
Since this story broke almost three weeks ago, there’s been virtually no new word on where things stood between BP and Ocean Therapy until a couple of days ago when Ocean Therapy finally started posting updates on its website. Two weeks ago, I went to Ocean Therapy’s website and registered to receive more information on the company. To date, I’ve received nothing. Not even an email "thanking me for my interest in the company."
Today the LA Times is reporting that the machines still haven’t been deployed. According to Costner, the "deployment of the 2½-ton machines had been delayed by rigorous testing requirements of BP and federal regulatory agencies, as well as engineering challenges posed by leaked oil that had degraded over time into gooey masses with the consistency of peanut butter."
Regulatory approval? You’re kidding me, right? Hey, nobody seemed all that concerned about strict compliance with federal regulations when the Deepwater Horizon was being commissioned. Moreover, as a matter of simple common sense, testing this machine and reviewing its performance for regulatory compliance could have been done in a day, especially given the magnitude of this disaster and the fact that the damn thing is just not that complicated. "Okay, it spins really fast and separates oil from water, check. No environmentally harmful waste product – water is 99% pure and oil is captured, check. Okay people, we’re done here. File the paperwork and get the damn machines on the water!! Oh, we need to wait two months for approval? Get me the President on the line!!"
Thankfully, we finally appear to be past the regulatory and testing phase. So, why aren’t we seeing clips of these machines on the news, heroically cleansing millions of gallons of seawater a day, interspersed with pictures of Costner himself, circa Waterworld? Apparently, it’s because BP has yet to pony up the cash for the sea vacuums. The LA Times reports that although BP has issued a letter of intent to purchase 32 of Costner’s sea vacs this week, Ocean Therapy has yet to be paid.
The most expensive sea vacuum is reported to go for $500,000. Assuming that all of the sea vac models are similarly priced, it would cost BP 16 million for the 32 machines that it intends to buy. I would think that Mr. Hayward could probably find that kind of money under the seat cushions of his car.
But wait, it gets better. Last Wednesday, Costner showed up on Capital Hill. Among other things, he testified that his centrifuge cleaning technology has been around for twelve years, and that the oil industry and the government have been aware of both the technology and the fact that it works for a long time. According to Costner, there’s been no interest until now because the sea vacuums were "too expensive."
There it is folks. Profits before environmental responsibility.
This is exactly the kind of jackassery that we need to do away with. In a rational world, Exxon, Shell, BP and every other major oil company on the planet would have invested in this technology as soon as it became available after Valdez. If they had, maybe more than eight percent of the Valdez spill would’ve been cleaned up, and the sea vacuums could have been employed in the Gulf on April 21, the day after the Deepwater explosion. Moreover, BP should be commissioning hundreds of these machines, not a mere 32.
The bottom line is that instead of doing the right thing, companies like BP and Exxon would rather save money by cutting corners on safety measures, investing in cheap clean-up measures like skimmers, and fighting claims in court. Environmental damage is only to be considered insofar as it affects profits.
This mindset is not only shortsighted and unsustainable, it’s just plain dangerous.
UPDATE – June 16, 2010: ABC News reports today that BP has finally agreed to purchase 32 of Costner’s sea vacuums. BP COO Doug Suttles released a statement saying "We were confident the technology would work but we needed to test it at the extremes. We’ve done that and are excited by the results."
Great news! Now let’s see how long it takes BP and Ocean Therapy Solutions to get these machines out into the Gulf.
i hope folks don’t lose sight of the big picture.
The one thing that made this sort of disaster virtually inevitable is the anti-regulatory attitude that permeates American society and public policy. The basic nature of our economic system puts enormous pressure on businesses to maximize profits- particularly in the short term- and minimize costs. To expect business to vountarily provide adequate resources for environmental, health or safety in the face of the inexorable drive to maximize profits is naive. Only government regulation- backed by heavy financial disincentives for EHS failures- can act as a counterbalance to the profit motive.
It’s the blind and brainless “Get Government off our backs” approach toward public policy that needs to be addressed in the long term if we are to minimize the number and impact of these horrendous events.
Vic:
I agree completely – “blind and brainless” is right. What kills me is that this “don’t tread on me” mindset has been successfully sold to working/middle class Americans that would otherwise benefit from the protections that effective regulations can provide.
The Tea Party libertarians need to read up on American history, particularly the days when there were no meaningful labor regulations. Without effective government regulation, big business takes over and the profit motive replaces rational decision making.
Victor: I agree with you that the public does not put enough pressure on the regulatory process. My understanding of the environmental regulatory system is that it has been set up to be a “dialogue” between development versus environmental protection interests. However, the public-at-large is not aware that they NEED to provide input and participate. They need to comment on the reports, request that the developers are following Best Management Practices and ensure that accident-response measures are in-place. As I understand it, IF the business says (in their permit applications) that their BMPs are adequate, and IF no one in the public strongly disagrees, the oversight agency can NOT hold up the permit, because that would violate the regulatory system, which says that, if no public interests complain, then it is to be assumed that the business is doing the best it technologically can…
On another matter, I’ve read that other petroleum companies are embarrassed by BP’s spill response. They are publicly stating that they believe BP could do better. (http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/14/4506926-bp-exec-admits-clean-up-technology-is-dated)
on April 20, up to two million barrels of oil per day may have been leaking into the Gulf before BP managed to cap the busted well on June 3 and start capturing some of the rogue oil. In other words, BP has done its very best to foul our environment on an unprecedented scale. Given BP’s rather callous response to the environmental cataclysm they’ve unleashed in the Gulf, I’m convinced that they, along with their metanat corporate cronies, are secretly constructing a lunar colony on the dark side of the moon, to be completed right around the time they finish rendering this planet unfit for human habitation. Otherwise, the studied indifference of BP CEO Tony Hayward and his mates to this disaster is hard to fathom. 
i hope folks don’t lose sight of the big picture.
The one thing that made this sort of disaster virtually inevitable is the anti-regulatory attitude that permeates American society and public policy. The basic nature of our economic system puts enormous pressure on businesses to maximize profits- particularly in the short term- and minimize costs. To expect business to vountarily provide adequate resources for environmental, health or safety in the face of the inexorable drive to maximize profits is naive. Only government regulation- backed by heavy financial disincentives for EHS failures- can act as a counterbalance to the profit motive.
It’s the blind and brainless “Get Government off our backs” approach toward public policy that needs to be addressed in the long term if we are to minimize the number and impact of these horrendous events.
Vic:
I agree completely – “blind and brainless” is right. What kills me is that this “don’t tread on me” mindset has been successfully sold to working/middle class Americans that would otherwise benefit from the protections that effective regulations can provide.
The Tea Party libertarians need to read up on American history, particularly the days when there were no meaningful labor regulations. Without effective government regulation, big business takes over and the profit motive replaces rational decision making.
Victor: I agree with you that the public does not put enough pressure on the regulatory process. My understanding of the environmental regulatory system is that it has been set up to be a “dialogue” between development versus environmental protection interests. However, the public-at-large is not aware that they NEED to provide input and participate. They need to comment on the reports, request that the developers are following Best Management Practices and ensure that accident-response measures are in-place. As I understand it, IF the business says (in their permit applications) that their BMPs are adequate, and IF no one in the public strongly disagrees, the oversight agency can NOT hold up the permit, because that would violate the regulatory system, which says that, if no public interests complain, then it is to be assumed that the business is doing the best it technologically can…
On another matter, I’ve read that other petroleum companies are embarrassed by BP’s spill response. They are publicly stating that they believe BP could do better. (http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/14/4506926-bp-exec-admits-clean-up-technology-is-dated)