Oil spill in the Gulf

[skeeter11008]

When will the safety of our enviorment and ecosystems become more important than the bottom line profits of major corporations. All the efforts of the sportfishing industry by building all the artificial reefs there could be in vain based on the greed of big oil companies.The fishing will take a long time to recover from this oil spill not to mention the people there that depend on the fishing/tourist industry for their livelihoods. Im no military expert, but can the Navy not stop the oil spill by caving it in with explosives? This should have been done within days of this happening, not after nearly a month so the oil company can protect their tap. There should not be another drilling permit issued until safety requirements are in place to prevent this from happening again. I know that BP would be out alot of money by losing the tapped wellhead but isnt our planet more important? I will NEVER give BP another dollar of my money when I fill up my boat or vehicle.Thoughts anyone....

[eddie_m]

I agree with your frustration. I've spent many vacations down in that area fishing in the Mississippi Sound until dawn. I've caught coolers full of speckled trout, flounder, & redfish. Plus, the Biloxi Mississippi oysters are famously some of the best tasting oysters in the world. I have a hard time imagining all that gone, or at least changed for the worse. I'm no environmental wacko, but I start sounding like one when it affects fisheries. It bothers me that mercury is in most fish to the extent that the meat is classified as low-grade poison (hence the consumption warnings). Now, imagine how toxic those bottom-feeding oysters will be.

[skeeter11008]

We always goto Gulf Shores and it is a fishing paradise. I am saddened to think that there is the possibility that the fishery will take a huge loss. Man, I will miss those huge crab boils with the family eating our fresh caught blue crabs, or catching a hundred fish a day with my sons and seeing the look on their face as they fight a huge snapper or bluefish.

[Fishin_4_Fun]

As long as we consume oil accidents will happen. We could even forbid all offshore drilling, and tankers could still have accidents transporting the oil to the US.

Everything we do involving oil between the time of getting it out of the ground to the time it's consumed is bad and can be potentially catastrophic for the environment. It could just as easily been Exxon, or any other company instead of BP. It was an unfortunate accident. I'm sure BP regrets it as much as anyone.

[skeeter11008]

The only thing BP regrets is the amount of money they are losing. If they were that regretful this well would have already been caved in and sealed and not spilling oil for almost a month now whilethey think of ways to save the oil and their tap!!!!

[Jbyrd]

Hey wonder why they can't just drop an explosive with the robot subs they are useing and seal the opening. Won't or can't? if they seal it they would loose the well , MAYBE?

[skeeter11008]

Because on Capitol Hill the big oil companies make huge contributions. Why do you think every Senator wants to be on the energy commission. Because big oil pays better than conservation group that represents the interests of sportsman. I understand that thi started as an accident and accidents happen, what I'm so angry with is the response of BP seems to put more of a priority on saving their tap and their oil.

[slobslayer]

If they used explosives large enough to possibly seal the well it would damage other wells and platforms that are in the immediate vicinity thereby causing other leaks. There are literally hundreds of wells within a relatively short distance of one another in that area. An explosion would certainly remove any chance of getting that emergency valve closed and could even make the leak worse. If an expolsion could safely seal the well BP could later drill back into it from the sides. Therefore if saving their well is what they are trying to do then the best way to do that would be to seal it ASAP and drill back into later. Considering what this disaster could could wind up costing BP I would think they are just as anxious as anyone is to stop the leak.

[F16ENGMGR]

The only thing BP regrets is the amount of money they are losing. If they were that regretful this well would have already been caved in and sealed and not spilling oil for almost a month now whilethey think of ways to save the oil and their tap!!!!

Lets not forget the 11 that lost their lives.

[DJD]

As long as we consume oil accidents will happen. We could even forbid all offshore drilling, and tankers could still have accidents transporting the oil to the US.

Everything we do involving oil between the time of getting it out of the ground to the time it's consumed is bad and can be potentially catastrophic for the environment. It could just as easily been Exxon, or any other company instead of BP. It was an unfortunate accident. I'm sure BP regrets it as much as anyone.

I agree and our gubment is to blame as well. This accident isn't the problem it's the tip of the iceberg. Gubment and big corps are so corrupt that it's hard to find someone to blame. I'll bet the deeper you dig into this the more you will find that we just need to pick up the pieces and move on. Fire people, fine corporations, start new safety measures and actually perform inspections of these rigs would be a start.

[eddie_m]

Great post, F16. I thought about that after my first response. 11 guys died in this tragedy. From the rig workers I've known, they work 12-14 hours for a week, then have about a week off. During their down time, many of them fish right off the rig. These were hard-working folks like us trying to earn a wage to support their families. In one instance, it's all gone and a bunch of lives have been shattered. God bless them.

[colonelmeyer]

Feeling sorry for BP is for suckers and fools! I feel sorry for those men who burned, drowned or, where crushed to death! For those families who have lost fathers, brothers, bread winners and for the complete devastation of the U.S. Gulf ecosystem for at least the next 10 years! Doesn't anyone remember how BP lied to the public and our government about the capacity of the well and the size of the leak? Don't believe them when their PR rep says "we had no way of knowing..." that is complete crap. Those wells are engineered to deliver as much product out of the ground as fast as they can within the limits of the laws of man and physics at the lowest cost. And it isn't so we can have the cheapest possible oil, that comes from market competition, it is so they can have the widest possible profit margin, just like any other business. They also know that the American public has a very short memory and that the more days they could string us out before they came out with the truth the easier it would be for them to play it off as a series of unfortunate events instead of a calculated profit scheme to minimize the hit to their reputation and their bottom line. Before the rig collapsed their guys where trying to push it off on the company that built the rig even though when BP bought the lease they assumed responsibility not just for the profits they could make from it but, for its maintenance and operation. We give these companies all kinds of legal privileges traditionally reserved for individuals but don't hold them legally liable for their messes? If keep my garage full of fireworks and it catches on fire, then spreads to your house and burns it down to, you would fully expect for me to pay for your new house right? Not the big bad government, right? You are **** right you would, and so would I and any other sane person. So why do people blame the government for this? Lets not go into that on the KY Fishin' forum, might get ugly. Loved the comment about the god **** lobbyists. This is what happens when the richest most connected candidates are the only ones allowed in "the game" (AAAAHHHHHH!) instead of those candidates that might have an idea that is better for THE PEOPLE, not just some people. Maybe some will see the value of real campaign finance reform and why it is an even worse idea to let foreign corps in addition to our own to contribute unlimited dollars to political campaigns. Why would equal TV time, lets say after a primary, be unfair? Tell me that. Screw BP and every company like em', and all the politicians in their pocket! They will never see another dime from me if I can help it.