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The Soft Hand
by Sudhama Ranganathan
Thursday, Jul. 08, 2010 at 6:51 AM
uconnharassment@gmail.com (email address validated)
Since the explosion on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig April 20, 2010 we have seen British Petroleum running from their obligations. They have constantly given inaccurate figures regarding just how much is leaking. They have shunned responsibilities regarding payments to workers. They have not allowed journalists to do their job as watchdogs over this incident on behalf of the public.
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They have shown a complete disregard for the health and safety of employees. It started with workers who went through the explosion and then were sequestering and intimidated by them. Next they put fishermen out of business by contaminating the gulf most of whom ended up having to work for BP as everything else in the region has been ruined by the incident.
Now according to CNN they are following in the footsteps of what happened during the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez cleanup. Many of the workers during the Exxon Valdez cleanup were people who, just like in the Gulf, relied on the fishing industry for their livelihood. (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/07/video-fmr-exxon-worker-blames-cough-on-cleanup/)
They worked without much respiratory protection from the toxic effects long term exposure to crude can produce. In the end many developed sicknesses including the gradual loss of sight and respiratory issues. Following right behind those responsible for the Exxon Valdez cleanup, right now BP is telling its workers it sees no reason to give them respirators. BP is saying there are no heath risks.
NOLA.com reports, “at one point BP workers on the cleanup were so sick they had to be taken to the hospital on stretchers. One worker who had to be airlifted to a hospital spoke about the issue. A fisherman, who was among nine cleanup workers airlifted to New Orleans-area hospitals with signs of illness last week, filed a complaint in federal court Sunday alleging that BP made him take a decontamination shower and confiscated his clothes before he entered West Jefferson Medical Center. The fisherman, James Wunstell of Galliano, is asking a federal judge to order BP to stop taking items that could provide evidence of the dispersants' toxic effect.
" ‘At West Jefferson, there were tents set up outside the hospital, where I was stripped of my clothing, washed with water and several showers, before I was allowed into the hospital,’ said Wunstell in a sworn statement from his hospital bed Saturday. ‘When I asked for my clothing, I was told that BP had confiscated my clothing and it would not be returned.’ “
BP’s response? “’I'm sure they were genuinely ill, but whether it was anything to do with dispersants and oil, whether it was food poisoning or some other reason for them being ill… You know, food poisoning is clearly a big issue when you have a concentration of this number of people in temporary camps, temporary accommodation. It's something we have to be very, very mindful of. It's one of the big issues of keeping the army operating. You know, armies march on their stomachs.’” (http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/post_6.html) Decontamination showers for food poisoning? It sounds like care for the people under their employ is just as stellar as ever.
Of course while all this is going on ADML Thad Allen has essentially been running defense for BP. He stated himself, “I have put out a written directive -- and I can provide it for the record -- that says the media will have uninhibited access anywhere we're doing operations, except for two things, if it's a security or a safety problem. That is my policy.” (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1007/01/acd.02.html)
Yet, he has instituted policies meant to keep journalists away from reporting what’s actually happening. CNN reports, “the Coast Guard today announced new rules keeping photographers and reporters and anyone else from coming within 65 feet of any response vessel or booms out on the water or on beaches -- 65 feet.
“Now, in order to get closer, you have to get direct permission from the Coast Guard captain of the Port of New Orleans. You have to call up the guy. What this means is that oil-soaked birds on islands surrounded by boom, you can't get close enough to take that picture.
“Shots of oil on beaches with booms, stay 65 feet away. Pictures of oil-soaked booms uselessly laying in the water because they haven't been collected like they should, you can't get close enough to see that. And, believe me, that is out there.” (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1007/01/acd.02.html) If they violate those orders they face the possibility of $40,000 fines and class D felony charges. What good is his word if pictures of birds are covered as security and safety issues?
During a press briefing this week a reporter asked Allen why and the head of the coast guard claimed it was due to vandalism of boom. This from the same press briefing where he said The Coast Guard was ordering every piece of boom it could get its hands on and they had an unprecedented amount of boom already. (http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/07/06/HP/A/35138/Coast+Guard+Admiral+Thad+Allen+Briefing+on+Gulf+Oil+Spill.aspx) How much could really be vandalized?
How does he explain workers afraid to speak with journalists and journalists physically intimidated when trying to get access to pictures of birds being cleaned off? How does he explain scientists unable to get straight answers about what’s coming out of the sea floor? Why wouldn’t he wish them to have the information needed to give the public a true accounting of what’s happening and why are BP’s people allowed to tell American journalists where they can go on federal waters?
Why is it that although journalists have requested a list naming all the tens of thousands of contractors working on it there still is no list? (http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/07/06/HP/A/35138/Coast+Guard+Admiral+Thad+Allen+Briefing+on+Gulf+Oil+Spill.aspx) These are things that only benefit BP as by limiting how much valid information is out there Allen is keeping how much they can be held accountable for to minimum.
It’s as if he’s taking a soft handed approach to the company whose CEO he eats shrimp and pasta with while people are losing their livelihoods and basically being forced to inhale toxic fumes. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38052.html) Must be nice to be so connected. He really needs to step up and be about the American people first, not moneyed international corporations. If he says something will happen it should when he says it will. The Gulf Region and America deserve it.
To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.
www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com
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