Wow, Rachel just said NONE of the Oil Company CEOs knew anything about the Ixtoc 1 oil spill

It is bad when the DU community has discussed this oil spill and none of the CEOs knew anything about it.

No wonder they were not prepared to handle the current spill, they know nothing about the history of spills in the Gulf.

For more information about it read here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtoc_I_oil_spill

and recovery.

Now, here's a nice fact for you after 9/11 the previous administration created the collosal DHS.
http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1179866197607.shtm

<snip>

Sector Partnership Model

For each critical infrastructure and key resources sector, a Sector Coordinating Council representing the private sector and a Government Coordinating Council have been created to share data, techniques, best practices, and to support systematic risk-based planning. The Department provides guidance, tools, and support to assist these sector-specific groups in working together to carry out their responsibilities.

This collaborative framework has yielded a dynamic plan. The SSPs reflect a consensus starting point, demonstrate progress made, and provide a path forward for further protection activities. Each SSP will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated regularly, as appropriate.
<snip>

Here is the Oil and Gas Sector specific plan
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nipp-ssp-energy-redacted.pdf

Now the key fact that everyone should take away from these documents is the Chertoff DHS made it VOLUNTARY for the sectors to actually implement the recommendations. There was nothing mandatory that they had to do to protect their critical infrastructure.

My point is not only MUST strict regulation be put in place but these companies MUST implement the recommendations for safety and security of their property.

Enjoy!

but to admit that they did would be a tad uncomfortable for them.

admit Nothing, first advices from their passels of lawyers.

Take your pick

I don't think these people take pride in their work, they just take the money and run and don't give a shit.

It's the 'greed is good' generation of business - all Gecko's from Wall street.

Looking like an idiot at step one in a line of questioning is preferable to being made a larger idiot or worse, once one takes that first step down the path.

The alternative is:

1. Have you heard of IXTOC 1?

"Yes"

2. So why do you continue to behave as if BOP's are reliable, and that containment or top kill procedures are effective, when the only thing that stopped IXTOC was a relief well? Shouldn't we be mandating relief wells as a result of lessons learned?

Actually, a better follow up would be "What lessons did you learn from the IXTOC 1 incident?"

Any number of follow ups to admitting knowledge of IXTOC 1 would have been worse, from the executives' point of view, than being able to say later, "Oh, yeah, IXTOC. I was confused by the question because he spelled it out, and I did not immediately recall it during the pressure of the hearing."

There are degrees of "looking like an idiot", and non-response to that question was simply a way of avoiding a greater degree of exposed idiocy and mendacity.

They are not going to be drawn into some Perry Mason moment of admitting, "Yes, yes, we are greedy bastards who don't give a damn."