Frontline Summary: BP has been pummeled with disasters within the past decade. After cutting costs by skipping crucial procedures involving safety precautions, disaster struck in March of 2005 at the Texas City Refinery. Due to the decision not to upgrade equipment, including blowdown drums, one of the drums exploded and killed fifteen oil workers, injuring over 170 others. Earlier that year, a presenter had stated that "Texas City is not a Safe Place to Work". Before the accident, a survey had been taking and found that most of the people working there felt unsafe and worried about dying and death at the refinery. The refinery needed to upgrade the antiquated blowdown drums and had sent requests to headquarters. Unfortunately, BP decided against it, saying its capital expenditures were tight and they couldn't afford the upgrades. Interestingly enough, after the accident checks were written to the families of those who had died, asking for those who accepted the compensation to not speak to the press about the incident.
Another accident occurred, this one in 2002 at Alaska's Prudhoe Bay oil field. While inspecting equipment, Don Shugak was caught in an explosion that left him in a coma and severely injured with broken bones and burns for six weeks. The cause of the accident was due to a blockage in one of the pipes, which caused it to burst. Shugak was confronted by BP and received an undisclosed sum of money and in return he agreed not to speak to the media. In 2006, 260,000 gallons of oil leaked from one of the Alaska pipelines; one of the worst spill on the North Slope.
Probably one of the most well known incidents occurring in 2005 was the Thunder Horse Rig toppled over during a Hurricane Dennis; however, the storm wasn't to blame in the situation. It happened, that BP engineers incorrectly installed valves, that instead of shedding water, took on water and half-capsized the vessel.
The Deepwater Horizon Spill, occurring in 2010, created the worst environmental disaster ever seen in the U.S. The cause was mostly human error and one mechanical error. The aftermath of the disaster continues to be difficult on residents of the Gulf Coast. Health issues are still present, including respiratory problems, and possible causes of cancer and mental health issues. BP has set up a 20 billion dollar claims service.
60 Minutes Summary:
Chief electronics technician Mike Williams was aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig when it exploded in 2010. He began by explaining that the rig was behind schedule for drilling oil, which caused a speed up in production but actually caused a split in the equipment. This split cost BP millions of dollars and even more time while the rig moved to a different location and began drilling again. During the shift, it was noticed by Williams that a crucial piece of equipment was not functioning properly. The annular which is a safety precaution, failed to perform properly during a test. Ironically, on a celebratory night on the rig for seven years without injury, the explosion occurred. Williams recalls having thoughts of his current state on the rig would be where he would die. In the panic of the incident, safety procedures previously put in place were abandoned, leaving Williams, the captain, and many others aboard the exploding rig.
Williams jumped off the rig, which was crucial for his survival. An investigation afterwards discovered that because the annular was broken, the pressure readings were incorrect. The readings were falsely informing the crew that the pressure was not at a dangerous level.
NY Times Summary:
New York Times researched the effects on wildlife after the oil spill in 2010. They concluded that brown pelicans as well as other seabirds become coated in oil after diving into it thinking the water is calmer. Once they are coated, birds cannot regulate their temperature which can lead to hyperthermia. Sea turtles common in the gulf are now either threatened or endangered, and with the already low numbers, it is going to be a challenge to rebuild the turtle population. Fish larvae are at risk as well because they are spawning near the spill. This is an issue because the gulf and only one other area are home to bluefin tuna in the world.
Citations:
Blowout: The Deepwater Horizon Disaster. Dir. 60 Minutes. Perf. Scott Pelly. 16 May 2010. 60 Minutes. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blowout-the-deepwater-horizon-disaster-16-05-2010/>.
The Spill. Dir. Frontline and Pro Publica. 6 Oct. 2010. Frontline. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-spill/>.
Park, Haeyoun, et al. "The Oil Spill’s Effects on Wildlife." New York Times. 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/28/us/20100428-spill-map.html>.
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