Gulf oil spill: Congress wants independent panel with subpoena power

On Capitol Hill, a pair of Democratic lawmakers proposed creating an independent commission with subpoena power to investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and to recommend measures to prevent similar disasters. A bipartisan delegation of House members also planned a flyover of the spill Friday and meetings in the gulf. 

"This disaster will be all the more tragic if we fail to learn from it," said Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), sponsoring the legislation with Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who said that such a commission was appointed after the 1979 accident at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear reactor. 

The proposal came as the use of oil dispersants generated concern. 

“Dispersants have never been used at this concentration level,’’ Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) said, asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to report on the effect of  "dumping thousands of gallons of oil dispersant’’ in the gulf.  "We need to understand if the treatment is worse than the disease.’’

--Richard Simon

Comments

[Paul Taylor Examiner]

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform blowout in the Gulf of Mexico has three impacts. It was a local human tragedy for friends and families of the eleven killed workers. It will also have real regional, but temporary, negative ecological and commercial fisheries impacts. And, the spill will chronically damage the image and political influence of corporate petroleum interests – even though BP was a significant funder of Obama’s election. The top recipient of BP-related donations during the 2008 presidential election was Barack Obama, who collected $71,000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. What the BP blowout was certainly not, is a proper justification for the Obama Administration to suspend their recently-authorized expansion of offshore oil explorations in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Seaboard, Arctic and Pacific Coasts. Oil and gas products supply about 60% of America’s energy needs. And, they represent 7% of our gross domestic product (GDP).

Today’s U.S. Interior Secretary Salazar’s suspension of oil explorations is the daily political posturing of an administration that is in chaos, and desperate to maintain and expand power over all branches of U.S. Government. They fear an expected fall off-year congressional election blowout of Democrats.

Neither government nor environmentalists has ever produced a single drop of oil. Oil and gas will continue to fuel our prosperity through the 21st century. Political progressives exhibit a perverse pattern of dividing and exploiting Americans into voting blocks by race, labor class, gender identity and religion, including environmentalism.

[Arcamedies]

MMM yes. We really need a panel for that. How about you just take the actual chemical being dispersed and some salt water and mix it with oil and then place it in a fish tank and see if it is killing fish. Of course it is killing fish. Ever placed a cap full of alcohol in a fish tank the size of room. Fish do not like it. They belly up over it.
Solution is fishing ships with proper skimming attachments and bags for the oil storgage. Plus a machine to empty the oil bags on shore into a conatiner.
At first leak, a female fitting adapter large enough to place over the leak with hoses or pipes that can screw in. Then a big oil container flew in and dropped off that floats until we can get a ship there to collect the oil.

As for the pipes, a hose lsleave or sleave pipe should be placed over them also going to the oil container until the oil ship can be there.

Committee please, buercractic nightmare. I think that old Arcamedies the Owl has got it down for y'all just listen to me and do what I tell you and it will be ok. Of course all the calculations need to be done by a professional owl.

Weight that can be placed over the leak via holdins of the ocean floor.

Size of leak, where to store materials close to oil rigs on land. Probable at coast guard posts, at least the attachments for the fishing ships can be stored at the coast guard. I believe we could rent the oil companies space to also store their femail fitting adapters for the leaks, and the quick movmment oil containers that float in the ocean with help of smaller size coast guard tugs until the big boys oil ship can get there.

Let me tell you they do not call me Arcamedies for no reason. who who tell me where who and why and I will give you an answer who who. LOL.

Follow those root ideas fill in the calculations and you have yourself a pretty much best safety net you can get per natural ideas.

Arcamedies, I would appreciate it if you did so.

Chemicals are a bad idea. However, for this one we had no choice, in the matter, as it is hard to cut through burecratic red tape to get the right solutions to the right people.

Tell the Chief and Commander I do not ever want to see my beaches ever again covered with oil. Thank you. I would appreciate it.
Hello Admiral :)

who who who, who, who who who
Arcamedies who who

[WREN]

SO glad some congress people are taking notice and taking names. Totally agree about dispersants - you can't sweep this under the rug BP!

[nader paul kucinich gravel mckinney]

9/11 & Anthrax: Congress fights independent panel with subpoena power