Beginning Monday, forensic engineers will put the blowout preventer retrieved from the Deepwater Horizon through a battery of tests designed to reveal why it failed to stop gushing oil and gas at BP’s Macondo well this year.
A last-minute compromise among federal agencies will ensure that the Chemical Safety Board has its own representative in the testing facility, along with five other experts from BP, rig owner Transocean, blowout preventer manufacturer Cameron International, the Justice Department and the plaintiffs in a multi-district class action lawsuit tied to the oil spill.
The final deal puts an end to weeks of fighting between the CSB and the joint investigation team from the Coast Guard and the Interior Department over access to the testing — though neither side was celebrating Saturday.
CSB’s managing director, said the board would sign the testing agreement drafted by the joint investigative team and would be present when testing gets under way despite “significant” and unresolved concerns about access.
Horowitz said major remaining issues “include the lack of independent photography” during the testing and “excessive restrictions on personnel in the testing area.” Additionally, Horowitz said, there is no “appropriate” process for resolving disputes among federal agencies involved in the testing.
But, in a concession by the joint investigation team, the final deal secured CSB’s space at the testing facility and allowed the board to put an investigator or other expert of its own choosing in the seat when the examination is under way.
Additionally, Horowitz said, “we successfully negotiated the removal of an unprecedented gag provision that would have barred the release of any information on why the (blowout preventer) failed,” Horowitz said. “We also achieved the removal of language that would have exposed parties who disagreed with the joint investigation team to potential charges of federal obstruction.”
muts fighting over federal funding.They must know the GOP budget cuts are in route.
Typical Feuding Federal Agenices, and no one to act as a ref.
The Chem safety board????
Sure sounds to me like Obama and his people wanted to keep everybody else out so they could make the findings come out the way they wanted.
It is sad that federal incompetency is in charge of finding the facts as to why the BOP failed.
The Chemical Safety Board should be on board in the investigation. They are similar to the National Transportation Safety Board with respect to incidents in Refining and Chemical manufacturing facilities. A drilling rig and its production platforms are quite comparable in their design,instrumentation, and operation to a land based refinery or chemical plant. I know it is too much to ask from funding defenders of respective federal agencies, but “Can’t we all just get along?” The CSB should be viewed like the NTSB. When an aircraft crash occurs, they are THE agency tasked with determining the cause and contributing factors of the incident. The CSB should likewise be the lead agency investigating this incident.
Must be some dead fish in the pockets on this BOPE, lots of stink coming from this investigation. Typical American Govt. BS.
A drilling rig is not comparable anyway in their design,instrumentation, and operation to a land based refinery or chemical plant.
production platforms may have some bits and pieces of similarity.
Whoever made the comments drilling rigs are similar to refinary doesn’t know anything about driling rig…I doubt if he know much about refinary
In reply to Scott Fahey The Chemical Safety Board has an excellent record of investigating industrial accidents and more importantly they have no vested interes in the outcome other than getting at the truth. Their reputation probably had a lot to do with other peoples reluctance to get them involved, the other federal agencies definitely had a hand in the approval and oversight of the Gulf oil operations