21/04/2020
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/05/445983039/u-s-resolves-claims-against-bp-over-deepwater-horizon-spill
Ten years ago today, April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon Spill at Macondo occurred, leading to loss of life and long term significant environmental impact. The $20 Billion does not fully quantify the scale of this catastrophe.
The Presidential commission formed in the aftermath of this disaster included in its recommendations:
• The oil and gas industry must adopt a culture of safety. Much as the aviation, chemical, and nuclear power industries have done in response to disasters, the oil and gas industry must move towards developing a notion of safety as a collective responsibility. Industry should establish a “Safety Institute.” Similar to organizations in other high-risk industries, such as the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, this would be an industry-created, self-policing entity aimed at developing, adopting, and enforcing standards of excellence to ensure continuous improvement in safety and operational integrity offshore.
The emerging New Space market should take a lesson and develop a self governing authority to establish sufficient controls to hazards. In rapidly evolving technical fields, government regulations are unable to protect the occupants, the un-involved public and the environment. Instead, certification must be accomplished through compliance with industry consensus standards and verification by technical authorities. The safety community has considered these issues for more than 50 years and is well poised to apply these lessons learned to the commercial space sector.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch calls the deal "the largest settlement with a single entity in American history."
