Joseph J. Romm's Blog, page 1272

Stupak stunner: Oil well's blowout preventer had leaks, dead battery, design flaws, "How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" - Coast Guard Captain slams industry "self-certification" of BOP: "Manufactured by industry, insta

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A senior House Democrat said that the blowout preventer that failed to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of one of the devices that was supposed to close the flow of oil and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through joints that made up 10 percent of the drill pipe.

That's the lede of the WashPost coverage on the devastating opening statement by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) in a...

Stupak stunner: Oil well's blowout preventer had leaks, dead battery, design flaws, "How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" - Coast Guard Captain slams industry "self-certification" of BOP: "Manufactured by industry, insta

[image error]

A senior House Democrat said that the blowout preventer that failed to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of one of the devices that was supposed to close the flow of oil and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through joints that made up 10 percent of the drill pipe.

That's the lede of the WashPost coverage on the devastating opening statement by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) in a...

Stupak stunner: Oil well's blowout preventer had leaks, dead battery, design flaws, "How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" - Coast Guard Captain slams industry "self-certification" of BOP: "Manufactured by industry, insta

[image error]

A senior House Democrat said that the blowout preventer that failed to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of one of the devices that was supposed to close the flow of oil and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through joints that made up 10 percent of the drill pipe.

That's the lede of the WashPost coverage on the devastating opening statement by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) in a...

Stupak stunner: Oil well's blowout preventer had leaks, dead battery, design flaws, "How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" - Coast Guard Captain slams industry "self-certification" of BOP: "Manufactured by industry, insta

[image error]

A senior House Democrat said that the blowout preventer that failed to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of one of the devices that was supposed to close the flow of oil and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through joints that made up 10 percent of the drill pipe.

That's the lede of the WashPost coverage on the devastating opening statement by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) in a...

Stupak stunner: Oil well's blowout preventer had leaks, dead battery, design flaws, "How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" - Coast Guard Captain slams industry "self-certification" of BOP: "Manufactured by industry, insta

[image error]

A senior House Democrat said that the blowout preventer that failed to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico had a dead battery in its control pod, leaks in its hydraulic system, a "useless" test version of one of the devices that was supposed to close the flow of oil and a cutting tool that wasn't strong enough to shear through joints that made up 10 percent of the drill pipe.

That's the lede of the WashPost coverage on the devastating opening statement by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) in a...

I'm scheduled for NPR's Diane Rehm show Thursday 10 am on the spill and the bill - Plus a video of my Countdown interview

Barring a really, really big breaking story, I am (re)scheduled to appear on the Diane Rehm show Thursday 10 am (click here to listen live).

The topic is "What the worst U.S. environmental disaster in decades could mean for new offshore drilling projects and prospects for a climate bill."  Details here.  One of the other guests is Mark Schleifstein, the environment reporter for the Times-Picayune and co-author of "Path of Destruction: The Devastation of New Orleans and the Coming Age of...

Dead dolphins wash up on the Gulf Coast

As ThinkProgress has documented, the BP oil spill off of Louisiana's coast threatens more than 400 species, with the potential "devastation beyond human comprehension." Already, brown pelicans, sea turtles, and various types of fish have turned up dead. Now, the National Marine Fisheries Service is reporting that six dolphin carcasses have also been found in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama since May 2. The AP reports that officials are reporting the deaths as "oil spill-related...

Nature rains on Cuccinelli: "The University of Virginia should fight a witch-hunt by the state's attorney general." - Physics Today slams "blatantly political move"; State Senator labels it "ludicrous and frivolous."

Cuccinelli's actions against Mann hark back to an era when tobacco companies smeared researchers as part of a sophisticated public relations strategy to raise doubts over the science showing that tobacco caused cancer, and delayed the introduction of smoking curbs for decades. Researchers found themselves bogged down in responding to subpoenas and legal challenges, which deterred others from the field. Climate-change deniers have adopted similar strategies with alacrity and...

Obama on American Power Act: "The challenges we face — underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico — are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation's energy policies" - Vets, military experts applaud climate bill: "Action on cli

President Obama has released a statement on the Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act.  So have a number of veterans and retired military experts.

Let's start with the Commander-in-Chief:

I applaud Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman for their tireless work in drafting this important legislation.  This legislation will put America on the path to a clean energy economy that will create American jobs building the solar panels, wind blades and the car batteries of the future.  It will strengthen...

Obama on American Power Act: "The challenges we face — underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico — are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation's energy policies" - Vets, military experts applaud climate bill: "Action on cli

President Obama has released a statement on the Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act.  So have a number of veterans and retired military experts.

Let's start with the Commander-in-Chief:

I applaud Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman for their tireless work in drafting this important legislation.  This legislation will put America on the path to a clean energy economy that will create American jobs building the solar panels, wind blades and the car batteries of the future.  It will strengthen...