Oil spill latest: Senators knuckle wrap oil execs

Tony Hayward of BP

If there is one person no-one wants to be right now, it's Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP. The oil spill is still spewing 5000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day, compromising livelihoods of fisherman and all those who make a profession off the coastal waters as well as the marine animals that inhabit the fragile eco-system.

As a result, people are pointing fingers straight at Tony Hayward and the British oil company. They want answers: Why wasn't there a remote safety trigger to stem the flow during the rig fire? Why is there no clear contingency for oil leaks a mile below the surface? The list of questions goes on, but then so does the spill.

President Obama has offered to help BP and the rig owner Transocean, but has also stated that it is their responsibility to clean up the mess. He must shoulder some of the blame, and is also very aware that valve shut off triggers aren't a necessity in American legislature.

Oil spill differences of opinion

The spill has also driven a wedge between high profile oil players, producing opinions that are very much to the contrary. Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger originally called for offshore drilling in the Pacific as part of the T-Ridge project, something that met opposition after a 219,500 litre oil spill in San Fransisco Bay in 2007, but has since taken a u-turn, acknowledging "I see on TV the birds drenched in oil, the fishermen out of work, the massive oil spill and oil slick destroying our precious ecosystem [...] and this is why I am withdrawing my support for the T-Ridge project."

Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin pointed fingers at President Obama two weeks ago whilst proclaiming "drill, baby drill!" and claiming that offshore drilling was a way to stop America's reliance on foreign oil and improve its own security, and has since reiterated her stance on offshore drilling being essential to national security.

This is a stance echoed by Barbara Shook, Houston bureau chief for Energy Intelligence Group. Who claimed that "the US is not going to become any less dependent on fossil fuels because of [the Gulf oil spill]. As long as Californians drive automobiles, they will have to have oil from somewhere. Do they want it from California where it will generate local jobs and revenues, or ... from Indonesia or the Middle East where sources are unreliable?"

However neither Schwarzenegger or Palin have directly engaged BP or Transocean, and neither has called for BP to pick up the bill. Others now have.

Yesterday in Washington US Senators blamed BP and Transocean, scrutinizing their safety practices and demanding full compensation be paid for the cleanup. They accused BP and Transocean for trying to shift the blame to each other and subjected both companies to technical questions about safety and how the well was sealed. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden heaped particular criticism at BP America, accusing them of a "pattern of serious safety and environmental problems." During a testimony from BP America President Lamar McKay, Wyden interrupted claiming that "the culture of this company has been one accident after another."

Some will argue that regardless of whether legislation should be in place or BP should take its own initiative and pay the $500,000 to fit a remote trigger, oil is still entering the Gulf of Mexico at an alarming rate and something needs to be done to stop it. Perhaps pointing fingers at Tony Hayward is the right thing to do, but it should be done later. Right now all efforts should be on trying to stop the spill.

Related articles:

Oil spill latest: The cost of clumsiness | Gulf oil spill latest: Containing the spill | US oil rig sinks and causes oil spill off US coast | BP - Still no answers for oil spill

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