Oil industry assurances not enough

“Relying on assurances from the oil industry about the likelihood and severity of spills and their spill response capabilities is part of what led to the nation’s worst environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Oil industry assurances of plans to contain deepwater spills don’t carry much weight after three months of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, damaging industries and livelihoods, ways of life, and crucial ecosystems across the Gulf. It’ll take much more than oil company plans and assurances to overcome the industry’s demonstrated inability to prevent and control a deepwater blowout and spill.

“The Gulf disaster brought to light many regulatory, technological, and oversight problems that must be resolved before deepwater drilling can resume, if it can resume.”