New Orleans television and radio talk show host and pundit Jeff Crouere recently excoriated President Barack Hussein Obama over his delay in addressing the gulf oil emergency, suggesting in closing that “he made George Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina seem downright timely.”
But Crouere failed to include a more pressing question. Why was the 1994 Federal response plan for such offshore disasters not followed? Where were the fire booms to burn off the oil as the plan outlined?
Mobile Press-Register writer Ben Raines brought this boom-flaming failure to national attention when he wrote May 03, “If U.S. officials had followed up on a 1994 response plan for a major Gulf oil spill, it is possible that the spill could have been kept under control and far from land.”
The "In-Situ Burn" plan produced by federal agencies in 1994 calls for responding to a major oil spill in the Gulf with the immediate use of fire booms.
Raines wrote, “But in order to conduct a successful test burn eight days after the Deepwater Horizon well began releasing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf, officials had to purchase one from a company in Illinois.
“When federal officials called, Elastec/American Marine, shipped the only boom it had in stock, Jeff Bohleber, chief financial officer for Elastec, said.
“At federal officials’ behest, the company began calling customers in other countries and asking if the U.S. government could borrow their fire booms for a few days, he said.
“A single fire boom being towed by two boats can burn up to 1,800 barrels of oil an hour, Bohleber said. That translates to 75,000 gallons an hour, raising the possibility that the spill could have been contained at the accident scene 100 miles from shore.”
Click here to read Ben Raines story. Click here to read Jeff Crouere’s piece.
The real issue for Americans is the long-term multi-party Federal failure to accomplish specific work – in this case, following a plan and securing equipment necessary to address reasonably anticipatable disasters. It is only the most recent example.
In the housing and financial crisis, Congress failed to accurately monitor and regulate. In the health control bill, Congress acted unconstitutionally in requiring product purchase by individuals not utilizing public facilities or services. And, above all else; the Democrat Party, the Court System, the Lame-stream Media have allowed a government takeover funded by international criminals, facilitated by criminal gangs and union thugs, led by a narcissistic philandering race bating often-drunk anti-American who still refuses to prove he is qualified to serve as President of the United States of America.
Yes, I have long been a critic of Barack Hussein Obama. I wrote in May of 2008 that he appeared to be a Socialist. An October 2008 piece provided even more detail in “Obama’s Most Significant Statement.” In October 2009 I outlined reasons why life under Obama is dangerous in “Flame on What Why America” I have also questioned conservative stars in “Questioning Beck and Palin” posted in March of this year.
However, in this case, it is not President Obama’s fault.
In fact Federal government doesn’t work and it continues to avoid accountability for failure. Former-President George W. Bush learned the same thing when he sent representatives of the various institutions to Iraq to “help them organize.” But government is not organized in America beyond its own self-indulgent fiefdoms so, when exported, is obviously incoherent to others.
Oklahomans have drilled for oil everywhere since the industry began. We had high tech here before New York, LA, or Washington DC knew the term – that’s how we powered the industrial revolution. We drilled for oil in Sherwood Forest as the Nazis bombed London. We lived in Arab countries and taught them skills to harvest what God and the good earth provide.
Saturday between 4 and 6 pm on the David Arnett Show on AM 740 and FM 102.3 news talk KRMG, I want to hear if you agree or disagree on this and other local, state and national issues. Local oil industry experts are welcome. You can join the show by calling 460-KRMG (460-5764). You may also post comments below – registration is free.