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 BP: Billionaire PolluterPosted on May 4, 2010By Amy Goodman Less than a week after British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and unleashing what could be the worst industrial environmental disaster in U.S. history, the company announced more than $6 billion in profits for the first quarter of 2010, more than doubling profits from the same period the year before. Oil industry analyst Antonia Juhasz notes: “BP is one of the most powerful corporations operating in the United States. Its 2009 revenues of $327 billion are enough to rank BP as the third-largest corporation in the country. It spends aggressively to influence U.S. policy and regulatory oversight.” The power and wealth that BP and other oil giants wield are almost without parallel in the world, and pose a threat to the lives of workers, to the environment and to our prospects for democracy. Sixty years ago, BP was called the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. (AIOC). A popular, progressive, elected Iranian government had asked the AIOC, a largely British-owned monopoly, to share more of its profits from Iranian oil with the people of Iran. The AIOC refused, so Iran nationalized its oil industry. That didn’t sit well with the U.S., so the CIA organized a coup d’é tat against Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. After he was deposed, the AIOC, renamed British Petroleum, got a large part of its monopoly back, and the Iranians got the brutal Shah of Iran imposed upon them, planting the seeds of the 1979 Iranian revolution, the subsequent hostage crisis and the political turmoil that besets Iran to this day. In 2000, British Petroleum rebranded itself as BP, adopting a flowery green-and-yellow logo, and began besieging the U.S. public with an advertising campaign claiming it was moving “beyond petroleum.” BP’s aggressive growth, outrageous profit and track record of petroleum-related disasters paint a much different picture, however. In 2005, BP’s Texas City refinery exploded, killing 15 people and injuring 170. In 2006, a BP pipeline in Alaska leaked 200,000 gallons of crude oil, causing what the Environmental Protection Agency calls “the largest spill that ever occurred on the [Alaskan] North Slope.” BP was fined $60 million for the two disasters. Then, in 2009, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined BP an additional $87 million for the refinery blast. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said: “BP has allowed hundreds of potential hazards to continue unabated. ... Workplace safety is more than a slogan. It’s the law.” BP responded by formally contesting all of OSHA’s charges. President Barack Obama said of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, “Let me be clear: BP is responsible for this leak; BP will be paying the bill.” Riki Ott is not so sure. She is a marine toxicologist and former “fisherma’am” from Alaska, and was one of the first people to respond to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil disaster. Exxon deployed an army of lawyers to delay and defeat the legal claims of the people who were physically and/or financially harmed by the Valdez spill. “What we know is that the industry does everything it can to limit its liability,” she told me. The (Mobile, Ala.) Press-Register reported that Alabama Attorney General Troy King told BP to “stop circulating settlement agreements among coastal Alabamians.” Apparently, BP was requiring owners of fishing boats seeking work mitigating the spill to waive any and all rights to sue BP in the future. Despite a BP spokesperson’s pledge that the waivers would not be enforced, the news report stated, “King said late Sunday that he was still concerned that people would lose their right to sue by accepting settlements from BP of up to $5,000.” Advertisement That is why Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced a bill to raise the economic-damages liability cap to $10 billion, calling the bill the Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act. Riki Ott is touring New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, educating people about the toxic effects of the spill, and helping them prepare for the long fight ahead to hold BP accountable. BP will surely continue its dirty practices, fighting accountability in the courts, in the press and on the oil-drenched beaches. BP: be prepared. © 2010 Amy Goodman Distributed by King Features Syndicate CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment |
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By heidi, June 25, 2010 at 1:09 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
the biggest problem on the planet is corporate personhood,and this is something we can actually do something about!!BP Monsanto Walmart the media…These corps are not persons they are not born they do not die and their only obligation is to MAKE MONEY.It is obscene that a company like bp can create the worst environmental disaster ever and be apologized to by one of our countries lawmakers!Here is some food for thought” corporations are given tremendous advantage in the realm of commerce.In return for those advantages,granted by our government,we are entirely justified to impose special obligations on corporations. If they do not want the obligations they must forgoe the advantages.It is fundamentally unjust that they recieve the advantages without the obligations…once we are able to shed the fiction that corporations are persons we can begin to think of corps. in their proper place,subservient to PEOPLE”(ca.center for community democracy)We have given over the planet to entities whose only obligation is to make money.Since they are protected by our constitution to “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness(i.e. money)they are free to pursue their happiness at the expense of the planet and all of the sentient beings on it!!!
Report thisMonsanto corp has won the right to continue to pursue their happiness spreading their deadly gmo seeds throughout our planet,and spending their money stomping on any PERSON who they deem a threat. If their nasty seeds show up on my farm through some bee dropping in, they can sue me for that!!!They have free reign to carry on, with the blessing of our govt.As does bp and all the rest. We Must stop this-68within we must abolish corporate personhood and reclaim our planet!Unless we take this step we will remain the “small people” and the corps. will continue to create corpses! End corporate personhood!End corporate rule!!!
By Marka, May 13, 2010 at 7:38 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“There’s a potential solution to the Gulf oil spill that neither BP, nor the federal government, nor anyone — save a couple intuitive engineers — seems willing to try.”:
Report thishttp://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/gulf-oil-spill-supertankers-051310
By dissentispatriotic, May 6, 2010 at 6:25 pm Link to this comment
Please ignore the last post from me on this thread. I’m surprised no one
called me out. I write on several blogs and I think I was writing about two
things at once. Here is the amended version which probably makes a lot more
sense:
Hey, anybody seen our nation’s soul. I can’t seem to find it. Oh, there
it is covered in hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil. Funny
how so many bitter political rivals are all sharing the same revolving
door. I mean why would oh so liberal Obama still be doing lucrative business
with an oh so conservative and evil companie like KBR.
Whether it was Halliburton cement or a failed blow-out valve
Report thismanufactured by Cameron International, they perps will never be held truly
accountable by this or any other administration. And even if we have the
Obama administration to thank for bringing the actual severity of this spill
to light, they support this type of off shore drilling. They will remain
complacent in doing business with companies like BP and Halliburton and must
share in the big blame bonanza, which is ample. The thing that sickens me
most is that even this horrible tragedy is being slanted for political gain.
Apparently, we would rather poison our own food sources than be wrong.
By racetoinfinity, May 6, 2010 at 4:14 pm Link to this comment
Excellent column.
And more ESSENTIAL reading:
“Slick Operator: The BP I’ve Know Too Well” by Greg Palast -
http://www.truthout.org/slick-operator-the-bp-ive-known-too-well59178
Report thisBy dissentispatriotic, May 6, 2010 at 2:26 pm Link to this comment
Hey, anybody seen our nation’s soul. I can’t seem to find it. Oh, there
it is covered in hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil. Funny
how so many bitter political rivals are all sharing the same revolving
door. I mean why would oh so liberal Obama hand lucrative, and probably
no-bid, contracts to a oh so conservative and evil companies like KBR.
Whether it was Halliburton cement or a failed blow-out valve
Report thismanufactured by Cameron International the question still stands. And
even if we have the Obama administration to thank for bringing the
actual severity of this spill to light, they hired Halliburton in the
first place and must share in the blame, of which there is an
abundance. The thing that sickens me most is that even this horrible
tragedy is being slanted for political gain. Apparently, we would
rather be right than alive.
By amunaor, May 6, 2010 at 1:29 pm Link to this comment
Gun-slinger Cheney and his company Halliburton—yes, the same one that rakes in billions of dollars in profits rebuilding things in the Middle East after the U.S. military blows them up—is the company that completed the “rig cementing” just 20 hours before the rig exploded. A federal study, meanwhile, shows that most rig blowouts are caused by problems with rig cementing. So now it appears that Halliburton may be implicated in this environmental disaster.
The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that a lawsuit filed by a rig technician who was injured in the explosion claims Halliburton made crucial mistakes in cementing the well, “increasing the pressure at the well and contributing to the fire, explosion and resulting oil spill…
STORY LINK HERE:
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/207801-Gulf-of-Mexico-Oil-Spill-Shows-Disastrous-Legacy-of-Halliburton-and-the-Real-Cost-of-the-Oil-Era
“Just look at that pile of dead bastards over there”
WikiLeaks—Collateral Murder
http://wikileaks.org/
Peace, Best Wishes and Hope
Report thisBy bogi666, May 6, 2010 at 10:30 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
DISENTISPATRIOTIC, The purpose of Nuclear reactors is to boil water but it keeps the monopoly public utilities monopolies. That’s the real reason for it.
Report thisBy purplewolf, May 6, 2010 at 8:39 am Link to this comment
AS this is only one of several incidents in the past few years caused by BP, all of their profits should be seized to pay for all of the damages, which will never truly be recovered, but at least it would pay for part of the cleanups from their messes. And isn’t it ironic that Halliburton is part of this problem also. The caps that were used and installed by Halliburton broke almost immediately after being installed causing more problems.
When will this incompetent company and it’s spin offs be shut down permanently as it has been proven time and time again that they do shoddy work, use unsafe parts and materials and yet they are still being used for government contracts as well as for private companies. It is time for all of these crooks to be held accountable and be totally financially responsible for the damages they have done and not the slap on the wrists fines they now pay.
Report thisBy dissentispatriotic, May 5, 2010 at 8:30 pm Link to this comment
It is amazing that more of us don’t smell the bloating rotting corpse of
decaying capitalist decadence when it is rotting right out from under our
noses. The entire capitalist system is built on an unsustainable
principal; dividends that increase on a graduated scale… Forever. Tell
me, how can you take a finite resource and grow it by 8% annually into
eternity. The only way that the model works is if you are slowly sucking
everyone else around you dry until you are the only one left standing and
then yours dries up anyway. Almost there everybody! How do hundreds of
millions of people and countless economists buy into such a grossly
unsustainable system. Oh yeah, pacification. After a couple hours of the
42inch screen daily pacification therapy, even I might take capitalism’s
big old scaly John Thomas down my gullet. But I digress.
I could not have agreed more with amunaor. That kinda rolls off the tongue. But seriously electric can’t swoop in to save the day. We are
already going to extreme lengths to get at that coal(just Google “top down
mining” for example). And while attractive to some in comparison, nuclear
power come along with a bi-product that is HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE FOR
THOUSANDS OF YEARS! Bio-fuels can be a supplement but at our current level
of demand for fuel and food the arable land sort of runs out real quick. We are talking machine vs. your mother, and the rest of mankind. Nothing
at all against your mother. It’s just the Thunder Dome what are you gonna
do?
I am leaning toward conservation, wind and solar myself. The only methods
Report thiswith proven results. I understand we are going to rely on some fossil fuel
and nuclear energy for a long time, but SLOW DOWN OR THE EARTH WILL SHAKE
US OFF LIKE FLEAS! The big step is going carless/bike. I know in most
places that is a tall drink of shut your mouth, but you cannot imagine how
liberating it is till it’s done. I did it in Jan 2006 right after moving
to a big west coast city with great public transit. I’m not saying that
it’s for everyone and this should not be mistaken for brother Bob’s fire
and brimstone revival. Just letting anyone who cares know that it’s a
viable lifestyle choice.
By dot tilde dot, May 5, 2010 at 2:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
whatever, but please not beyond punishment.
.~.
Report thisBy Not One More!, May 5, 2010 at 11:18 am Link to this comment
Like Paul, I haven’t bought gas from Exxon since the Valdez, now I’ll have to add BP if they don’t take total and complete responsibility for their action.
Report thisBy amunaor, May 5, 2010 at 11:14 am Link to this comment
Good for you Amy!
Thanks for this snippet on AIOC/BP history exposing its willful malfeasance and diversionary tactics in avoiding responsibility.
One thing your article failed to mention is the multinational nature of the crude ‘cartel’ and the massive oil-vampire that draws this liquid from our host, the earth. Those who flee the multinational, are incessantly threatened, or ground up in the maws of its military beast.
Doesn’t the American public know by now that any oil pumped from the land beneath its feet or territorial waters of its coastlines does not belong to, or necessarily return to, the U.S. consumer; that the product is exported; sold by the multinational; on the open market; to the highest bidder? The notion that drilling here will diminish the need for killing people who don’t like over there is a myth.
Only the ‘Nationalization’ of American oil pools; its production and distribution processes, perhaps can, but only temporarily, curb its carbon aspirating machinery’s thirst from seeking to steal a sip elsewhere. Once the American pools run dry, leaving the ecosystem trashed, the insatiable thirst remains. Who do you kill next; whose lands do you bomb and trash next to maintain the addiction?
Remember the Alaska Pipeline; how it was sold to the thirsty 1970’s American public; to quench their thirsty gas-guzzling V8’s, with boastful rhetoric that it would alleviate U.S. dependence on foreign oil…yada, yada, yada? Sound familiar? From day one, Alaskan oil has been exported to the highest bidder on the open market.
Drill-Baby-Drill; poking more off-shore holes into the hide of mother earth is not going to reduce the cost of taking another addicted sip. In this sense, our addictions create serial murderers in our name; manifesting as a brutal military beast in defense of those addictions. “Just look at that pile of dead bastards over there”.
When the pools are sucked dry; as they begin returning less profit to cost of pillage ratio, the next energy cartel will be uranium; for which a mechanism is already in place. These folks, the Corporatarchs, aren’t interested in liberating the masses from the drudgery and slavery of the elements; they only devise new methods by which to keep the meter running.
Peace, Best Wishes and Hope
Mean while, “Just look at that pile of dead bastards over there”
Report thisWikiLeaks—Collateral Murder
http://wikileaks.org/
By tedmurphy41, May 5, 2010 at 7:41 am Link to this comment
You could use the law that is in use against persistant offenders, three strikes and your out.
Report thisBusiness gone into public administration with the directors either in jail, or disbarred from holding positions on any board for “x” number of years.
I really believe that you will get their wholehearted attention, don’t you think?
By Paul, May 5, 2010 at 5:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The term ecological disaster doesn’t mean much these days. Just believing there is such a thing is enough to get you on a terrorist watch list. But what is happening in the gulf of Mexico right now definitely falls into that category. However, like all disasters it provides opportunity. Before George Bush came along no-one really understood the level of corruption, incompetence, theft, butchery and plain criminality that was practiced in Washington. Anyone who still doesn’t is beyond the scope of this letter. There are people who try to suggest that all this was nothing to do with George Bush because all politicians do it all the time. This is convenient but wrong. The war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the financial crisis all had their critics. People who knew better and said so. These people were shouted down and still are. But thanks to George Bush the world woke up – a little bit anyway. Now they can wake up to what ecological disaster really means which is something I did thirty years ago. When the Exxon Valdez bottomed out in Alaska some news crew was on the scene to interview the CEO of Exxon Corporation. Here is this son of a bitch standing up to his ankles in black oil and declaring “..this is nothing to do with me. I don’t know anything about it.” Right then and there I said to myself as long as I live I shall never set foot in an Esso station again. And I haven’t. Too bad I was the only person on earth to have this brilliant idea. Obama has been saddled with most of Bush’s screw ups and he hasn’t done a lot to help himself. This situation is a golden opportunity for him to seize the moment. If he rolls over on this he is finished.
Report thisBy bogi666, May 5, 2010 at 3:39 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Meanwhile I demand that the litter laws be applied to BP here so ihat it doesn’t impact their financial statements. BP must be cited for violating litter laws by all the affected states which will be appealed to the SCOTUS and BP will be exonerated as not guilty of littering and double jeopardy with the USG and states will having to pay BP’S LEGAL FEES.
Report thisBy Not One More!, May 4, 2010 at 10:10 pm Link to this comment
BP is looking out for your interests. And the democrats will take care of everything (like they took care of the war, corporate bailouts, single payer health care).
BP will continue making billions, the oil soaked birds will continue to die, off shore drilling will increase, the corporate elite interests will be protected, and we’ll continue to fight the wars and allow the environmental degradation that makes it all possible.
Support Republican Policy
Vote for a democrat.
Life is beautiful.
http://www.wordsareimportant.com/lifeisbeautiful.htm
Report this