It might be difficult to believe that it would have taken this long, but as the Titanic known as the drilling rig Deepwater Horizen sinks more deeply into our consciousness, somebody in the political sphere is finally taking some responsibility.
Although he isn't saying specifically that this catastrophe is his fault, Chris Oynes is leaving his position with the Interior Department.
It seems likely that this is the tip, so to speak, of an iceberg. It seems unlikely that Mr. Oynes can claim sole responsibility for the apparent grand melange of incomptence and corruption that we already know has been rampant in his agency for many years.
It may be that he is the sacrificial lamb at this point. But it is hard to believe that he will not take others down with him.
Many others, I suspect.
He's been in charge of leasing in the Gulf for 12 years, during which time it might appear he's been mostly twiddling his thumbs and picking up his paycheck.
There has to be a lot more coming out on this. I expect to hear more from some of our BP inside sources, amongst many others.
I can't help wondering if this is just ahead of some kind of prosecution, or if he's going to be State's evidence against some of these guys and is getting out early.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
This is rich ! His background includes 30 years of government service, and much much more.
http://www.mms.gov/...
A bit from June 2008 in a piece recalling the Santa Barbara spill:
Chris Oynes, associate director of the Minerals Management Service, said that advances in drilling technology and safety features, many of which were ordered after the 1969 spill in California, have drastically curtailed the threat of environmental mishaps. One device is a safety valve inserted 100 feet below the ocean floor that can be turned off to halt the flow of oil if workers have to abandon an endangered rig.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/...
Here's a snippet from testimony (pdf) in 2002 before the Ocean Commission about making MMS a one-stop shop for permitting:
Single Agency Jurisdiction for Permitting
OCS-Related Activities ("One-Stop Shopping")
As industries consider novel approaches to increase energy supply, they face a complex regulatory system. Federal permitting responsibilities are divided among several agencies that may have limited authority for only small portions of a project. Many novel approaches to the production or distribution of energy discovered on the federal OCS are not explicitly covered by the OCSLA or other existing legislation. The lack of clear authority by one agency could result in obstacles to innovative OCS energy initiatives and potentially impede orderly development of the OCS. The offshore energy industry needs clear regulatory requirements and clear agency responsibilities if they are to commit time and resources to these projects. Given primary responsibility, MMS would facilitate the development of existing resources and infrastructure to ensure safety of operations and protection of the environment, while working with other agencies that have authority under the OCSLA or existing statutes.
One stop shop ? Yeah, I think this might be where the buck stops...