Lawmakers Call on Gov’t to Shut Down BP Atlantis

Photo by munchicken, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/munchicken/218628271/">via Flickr</a>.

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


While the Obama administration called a time-out on new offshore oil and gas drilling a few weeks ago, they have so far allowed current drilling operations in the Gulf to continue. “We were not going to have those stopped mid-way,” Interior secretary Ken Salazar told senators yesterday. But now a group of legislators is calling on Salazar to freeze BP‘s other big Gulf of Mexico drilling operation, the Atlantis rig, until federal regulators certify that it is operating safely.

Reuters reports that at least 17 Democratic lawmakers urged Salazar to shut down the rig in a letter sent Wednesday. Lawmakers first raised questions about the safety of the Atlantis in a letter to the Minerals Management Service back in February, noting that they had heard “disturbing reports” of safety lapses and warning of the “risk of a catastrophic accident.” They cited whistleblower reports that the rig lacked “crucial engineering documents.”

In this latest letter, the members write, “We urge MMS to listen to the expert engineer who reviewed the Atlantis situation and called for an immediate shutdown until it can be shown that this platform is operating safely.” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is the lead author on the missive.

The Atlantis operates even farther below the surface than the Deepwater Horizon, at a depth of 7,000 feet, and produces 200,000 barrels of oil per day. “We are very concerned that the tragedy at Deepwater Horizon could foreshadow an accident at BP Atlantis, which is operating in deeper water than Horizon,” the House members write.

The group Food & Water Watch also filed a lawsuit this week seeking to force Salazar and MMS to shut down the Atlantis. “The Horizon oil spill was not a freak accident,” says the group. “Strong evidence reveals that the Atlantis platform is a disaster waiting to happen, and other platforms may be operating unsafely too.”

In Senate testimony on Tuesday, Salazar admitted that there have been lapses in oversight at MMS. He also said that there is “currently an investigation underway with respect to the Atlantis,” though he did not elaborate.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate