Information Manipulation By BP In 2006 Alaska Pipleline Leak...

[WillyT]

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Another aspect of limiting the flow of information to the public is that it would allow BP to build their own version of events more easily. BP’s history in that regard is not good. Remember the 2006 leak from a BP pipeline in Alaska? Here is an interesting report from the Seattle Times regarding BP’s behavior:

Then in March 2006, a major oil leak soiled the tundra from a corroded pipeline. BP promised it had the situation under control, but that August a second leak appeared, requiring an oil shutdown at Prudhoe Bay.

Congressional investigators learned that the crews on other major pipelines regularly sent inspection "pigs" through the lines to seek out wear and tear, but that BP had not done so since 1998.

A federal grand jury subpoenaed records from a Seattle engineering firm that had been hired by Alaska to evaluate BP’s pipeline-maintenance record. A draft report had been critical of BP, but the final version was largely complimentary. The draft was discovered during the grand jury’s investigation.

Both the engineering firm and BP maintained that no one was pressured to change the report, but coming on the heels of the Texas City refinery explosion, members of Congress were livid. Several called it a cover-up.

"They (BP) decided to quash that information from the public," said Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island. He called it "a conscious, willful decision by the particular corporation involved here."

Fortunately, however, steps are being taken in an attempt to prevent a repeat of BP changing information before it is released. Attorney Brent Coon, who was the lead plaintiff’s lawyer in the BP Texas City explosion case, has filed and been granted a restraining order preventing BP changing information relating to the Deepwater Horizon explosion:

Judge Randy Wilson of the 157th District Court has granted a Temporary Restraining Order requested by a plaintiff’s firm Brent Coon & Associates, who is representing rig worker Stephen Stone in a lawsuit stemming from the Deepwater Horizon Explosion. Managing Attorney for one of BCA’s Houston offices, Arthur J. Gonzalez, filed the petition Friday morning and the hearing on the TRO was held Friday afternoon with attorneys from both the plaintiff and defendants present.

The TRO orders the defendants to “refrain and desist from changing, alteration and/or destruction of any documents pertaining to the April 20, 2010 explosion, including all information stored, held or maintained in electronic format of via the internet.” Additionally, it requires the defendants to “refrain and desist from changing, alteration and/or destruction of any and all tools, instrumentalities and/or devices which may have been used by workers, in any capacity, as well as any work authorizations or other documents indicating the status of work at the time of the event in question as well as any and all physical evidence of any kind in any way connected with the accident and/or accident scene in question.”

Since NOAA appears to be collaborating with BP in stemming the flow of information, it is fortunate that Mr. Coon and others are working to protect the meager record which exists. Getting to the truth will be a very long and hard process, fought out in courtrooms for many years.

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From: http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/49419

:shrug:

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I hope that all the dirt is finally dug up and given the benefit of sunshine so we can

all see what filthy corporate "person" BP is.