Gulf Oil Spill Update : BP still controls the message but not the gusher.
BP engineers succeeded in installing a makeshift cap on the broken pipe that has spewed millions of gallons of heavy crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, but they have not really tamed the gusher. The best scientific estimates suggest that the current capture apparatus collects only ten- to fifteen per cent of the 40,000 barrels of oil flowing daily into the Gulf’s once pristine waters. Favourable winds and currents have kept the oil from travelling into the Gulf Stream, where it might make its way into the Atlantic; but the thick, sticky oil has begun washing-up on some of west Florida’s best beaches.
On Saturday, June 12, U.S. government officials increased the pressure on BP to install a fully effective cap, demanding specific plans and procedures by the end of Sunday, June 13. BP had no official response to the demand.
Controlling the message
Throughout the week, BP continued airing its sombre message from CEO Tony Hayward. In it, Hayward assures a sceptical public that British Petroleum takes full responsibility for the spill and its consequences, and he promises that BP will both clean-up its mess and compensate its victims. At week’s end, BP added a second message, reassuring Gulf coast residents that “more than 900 people” are working on their claims, and insisting that all reasonable claims will be paid.
Meanwhile, the major news sources reported that BP, first, had grossly under-estimated the size of the spill, and, second, had demanded clean-up workers and boat operators sign non-disclosure agreements, which prohibited their speaking with reporters. Although BP’s public relations team issued a memo assuring workers that talking to the press was fine, several broadcasts showed BP contract employees steadfastly refusing to comment, saying that they could not speak publicly without jeopardizing their jobs.
In a similarly troubling development, BP has refused to supply clean-up workers with respirators or face masks despite widespread complaints of nausea and light-headedness from fumes. Analysts believe BP has balked at providing face protection because it would imply their acknowledgement of a significant health risk, opening the door to thousands of personal injury lawsuits and major class actions.
As the crisis intensifies, environmentalists have begun planning and scheduling worldwide protests against British Petroleum.
