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There was no plan for major oil spill

Published:Friday | May 7, 2010 | 12:00 AM
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The inside of the containment system that will be used to try to contain the Deepwater Horizon oil is shown in Port Fouchon, Louisiana, on Wednesday. A 12-man crew was making final preparations Wednesday to take a 100-ton contraption 50 miles off the Louisiana coast in an unprecedented attempt to help funnel out oil spewing from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. - AP
An aerial vew of the northern Chandeleur barrier islands shows sheens of oil reaching land yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico. The islands rest 20 miles from the main Louisiana coastline.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) :

Petrochemical giant BP didn't file a plan to specifically handle a major oil spill from an uncontrolled blowout at its Deepwater Horizon project because the federal agency that regulates offshore rigs changed its rules two years ago to exempt certain projects in the central Gulf region, according to an Associated Press review of official records.

The Minerals Management Service, an arm of the Interior Department known for its cosy relationship with major oil companies, says it issued the rule relief because some of the industry-wide mandates weren't practical for all of the exploratory and production projects operating in the Gulf region.

no blowout plan

The AP review of government and BP documents found that the company had not filed a specific comprehensive blowout plan for the rig that exploded April 20, leaving 11 workers dead and spewing an estimated 210,000 gallons of oil a day.

Instead, a site-specific exploration plan filed by BP in February 2009 stated that it was "not required" to file "a scenario for a potential blowout" of the Deepwater well.

US Rep Nick Rahall, D-W.V., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has asked the Interior Department to turn over documents that explain why MMS decided to exempt some Gulf operators from being required to provide blowout scenarios.

Rahall expressed concern yesterday that MMS "has become an enabler of bad practices by the industry".