Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Prudhoe Bay Oil Spill Nothing New

267 gallons of oil spilled in February or March. 409 spills of oil and other things including acid (no, not the drug).

Whistleblowers reported maintainance backlogs in 2002

”We are trying to change that so we don’t have a catastrophe that ends up on CNN and stops us from getting into ANWR,“ he said, according to a March 13, 2002, report in the Anchorage Daily News. BP has long been criticized for poorly managing the North Slope’s aging pipelines, safety valves and other critical components of its oil production infrastructure. The company has in the past made minor improvements to its valves and fire detection systems and hired additional employees but has neglected to maintain a level of safety at its facilities on the North Slope.


March 19, 2006


The Senate passed approved a measure in a budget bill Thursday that included a provision to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling - just as the region suffers through one of the worst oil spills in history.


The EPA was (ahem) was reported to have launched a criminal investigation on the spill and two other pipes in Apri
l.

Reports on the problems with the pipeline go back at least to 2001.

The oil companies Still can't wait to trash ANWR
.

BP was supoenaed two months ago Did their tax cut go through in the meantime?

The incident triggered federal and state investigations that could result in a potential fine at a time when BP and other large oil companies are trying to win legislative support for a profit-linked tax bill and contract for a $20 billion gas pipeline.


Three oil spills went unreported there last year (2005). I found three reported oil spills there in 2005, but Reuters apparently likes to wipe their slate clean real quick.

What about the oil tanker that got stranded in Alaska last winter?

Even better news than spending 3$ plus change for a gallon of gas is the fact that there are still 100 tons of oil causing problems for wildlife and people seventeen years after the EXXON Valdez trashed the area.
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