New Moratorium Backed By Bureau Of Ocean Energy Management

by Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News Service

One day after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar revealed a revised moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, formerly known as the Minerals Management Service, Michael Bromwich met with President Obama’s special BP-Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Commission in New Orleans to express his approval of Washington’s policies.

Bromwich contended that the decision to reinstate the ban was based on “extensive” information, and is focused on enhancing drilling safety and blowout containment capability, and developing better disaster response strategies.

Salazar’s appointed Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director did concede that the moratorium was, “roughly congruent with the original moratorium,” but argued that this most recent ban is concerned with specific rig technologies, and not just the depth of the well.

“So long as the spill is out there, has not been contained, and that the oil spill response capabilities are all being consumed by the current spill, the Secretary concluded that it is simply too risky to allow deep water drilling to continue,” Bromwich said.

Deepwater Horizon Widows Seek Compensation For Pain And Suffering

By Miles Wolf Tamboli - Talk Radio News

Shelley Anderson and Natalie Roshto, the wives of two men killed in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig explosion, said during a hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that BP should be required to compensate the affected families for non-economic losses incurred in the disaster, such as loss of care, companionship and comfort.

The Deepwater Horizon widows made their point clear: Economic compensation is not enough. 

“It’s not just a job,” said Mrs. Anderson. “His job is a husband, and his job is a father too … I’d give it all back to have him come home even if he was jobless.”

The Death on the High Seas Act, passed in 1920, limits responsible parties’ liability to pecuniary damages such as burial costs and financial support. There have been numerous calls for its repeal in the wake of the massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast.

“Not to recognize pain and suffering - if someone is working at sea or if someone is working on land - strikes me as being incredulous,” asserted Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

“Now I have to make sure that I’m giving Blaine the support of both parents - a father and a mother,” added Roshto; “I celebrated Father’s Day this year … now I am the mother and the father.”

Gulf Coast Struggling, But Open For Business

By Miles Wolf Tamboli
Talk Radio News Service

Like so many Gulf Coast businesses, the Heritage Motor Coach Resort and Marina was doing great until April 20th. Now, in the wake of the disastrous oil spill, its owner is struggling to make ends meet.

"Our phones are not ringing and we're not getting reservations because of the oil spill in general and ... how the media has portrayed it," Duke Gibbs told Talk Radio News Friday. "Nine out of ten days on our resort there's not hint of oil, there's no smell of oil, but the spill in general has just killed our activity."

Gibbs' message was clear; the entire Gulf Coast is struggling from a misleading reputation stemming from the spill's impact. In fact, he said, the beaches where he is are clean, and the area is open for business.

"Over the last week I've seen a big difference in the amount of organization and cleanup effort ... our beaches look great ... they're responding quickly, and I also believe they're doing a much better job of containment out in the Gulf," said Gibbs.

The Country Music Channel will be hosting a free concert featuring Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney in Orange Beach, Alabama on July 1st to raise awareness and demonstrate support for the Gulf Coast region. To commemorate the event, Gibbs' resort will be holding a "4 for 2" night special, to encourage tourists to visit the area.

Gibbs told Talk Radio News Service that the Alabama Gulf Coast has the same white sand beaches, shopping, and dining of bigger Gulf Coast resorts like Destin and Panama City, Florida, but without the crowds. Because of this, Gibbs considers it "the perfect destination."

"Our only hope is to try to remain positive and promote our businesses ... and at the same time hope that BP will do their part," said Gibbs.

Still, Gibbs is aware that the economic future of the Gulf Coast is still uncertain. When asked about his stance on the six-month moratorium imposed by the Obama administration in response to the spill, Gibbs explained that up to 50 percent of his clients' businesses are somehow tied to the oil industry, and "they believe [the moratorium] will do nothing but absolutely kill the entire Gulf Coast economy over in the Louisiana and Texas area."

Gibbs said he has filed a claim with BP, but because he opened his resort just in the past year, he cannot provide the oil giant with the three to four years' of documents it requested. Gibbs filed his request two and a half weeks ago, and has not yet received any sort of compensation.

Senators At Odds Over Moratorium

By Miles Wolf Tamboli-Talk Radio News Service

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing Thursday to discuss a number of bills related to oil regulation and the Deepwater Horizon spill, which has just recently been re-capped after a pipe was allegedly damaged by a remotely-controlled robot, although oil can still be seen spewing from the pipe at an unknown rate.

However, lawmakers seem to have been distracted by debates over the 6-month moratorium on off-shore drilling exploration in the Gulf, which was lifted earlier in the week by a federal judge in New Orleans, as well as skepticism over the legitimacy of the presidential commission that recommended the drilling ban.

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) expressed the views of many legislators, saying that it is "common sense" to stop drilling, at least on the rigs that are in development and not yet producing oil, until the disaster can be better understood.

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D), however, stated that she "fiercely" disagrees with the moratorium. Although the ban only applies to 33 oil rigs, Landrieu argued that an economic analysis in the state has concluded that a moratorium could threaten 46,200 jobs and lost wages could amount to $5 to $10 million dollars per month.

The Senior Senator from the state that may prove to be the most impacted by the disaster cited job creation legislation Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) is trying to pass, and stated that, "if we don't get this right we're going to eliminate every job that we're trying to create by putting people out of work in the Gulf."

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) attacked the motives behind the President's oil spill commission, calling it, "stacked with people who philosophically oppose offshore exploration."

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar contended that the ban was, "not an ideological issue."

"With all due respect, the President, in choosing the members of this commission, chose the kinds of statesmen who, I believe, will transcend partisan politics and ideology," said Salazar.

Salazar Announces Strategy To Dissolve Culture Of Corruption In Wake Of Spill

By Miles Wolf Tamboli-Talk Radio News Service

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar outlined the reorganization of the Minerals Management Service, the federal regulatory authority that has been facing mounting criticism over its management of the Deepwater Horizon rig, during an appearance before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

"The Minerals Management Service is no more," Salazar said.

The agency has been split, explained Salazar, into three separate branches and renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, or the Bureau of Ocean Energy, for short.

"We believe that its important to separate the leasing functions from the enforcement functions, and also to separate the revenue functions from the enforcement functions as well," added Salazar.

Michael Bromwich, the new director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy, appeared alongside Salazar Wednesday. Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspector general, told the Senators that the MMS lacked "investigative capability," and that he wishes to build an infrastructure for internal and external accountability, in part to address what many have called MMS', "culture of corruption."