In an e-mail message to employees two weeks after an explosion rocked BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar continued parroting the Obama Administration lines about “being on the job from Day One” and about BP being responsible.
“From day one, we have been anticipating and preparing for the worst case scenario,” Secretary Salazar writes in the e-mail’s opening paragraph. “Thirteen days into this event, the situation is still dangerous.”
I find it telling that the action words in Secretary Salazar’s message are “anticipating and preparing” instead of acting, fixing, resolving or, if he had wanted to be honest — hoping.
In the fourth paragraph, he writes, “BP has a massive oil spill for which they are responsible,” —–even though no official investigation report has reached that conclusion.
Below, I share the full text of the message:
From: Secretary_of_the_Interior@ios.doi.gov [mailto:Secretary_of_the_Interior@ios.doi.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 2:28 PM
Subject: Secretary’s Priority Message – Deepwater Horizon Update
( NOTE TO SUPERVISORS: Please ensure that all employees without e-mail access receive a paper copy of this distribution.)
Dear Team,
As you know, at approximately 10:00 p.m. on April 20, 2010, a devastating explosion occurred on the BP Deepwater Horizon offshore facility, claiming the lives of 11 people. From day one, we have been anticipating and preparing for the worst case scenario. Thirteen days into this event, the situation is still dangerous.
Secretary Napolitano has designated the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill as an “event of national significance.” I appreciate her steadfast leadership in the response to this emergency. In the days and weeks ahead, I ask you all to join with me in bringing the resources and expertise of this Department to the people and landscapes of the Gulf as they brace for the difficult times ahead.
I want to thank Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes for leading Interior’s response effort. David was the first senior Administration official on the ground, arriving in New Orleans the morning after the explosion. I also thank all of you – from MMS to the Fish and Wildlife Service, from the National Park Service to PMB and the USGS – for the long hours you are putting in to helping deal with this emergency.
BP has a massive oil spill for which they are responsible. The oil spill threatens communities, wildlife, and natural resources around the Gulf of Mexico. Our focus remains on overseeing BP’s efforts to secure their wellhead that is spilling oil, and minimizing the damage.
Last week at BP’s command center, I pressed the engineers to work harder, faster, and smarter to get the job done. I have asked other companies to bring their expertise, resources, and ideas to the effort as well. And under President Obama’s direction, every resource within the Federal Government is being made available. We cannot rest until BP permanently seals the wellhead, and until they clean up every drop of oil.
The weather this past weekend presented a challenge, but the strong interagency effort – and our coordination with local and state partners – means we have plans in place, resources deployed, and the people we need to fight the spill.
I have ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico. We have issued a safety notice to all operators, reminding them of their responsibilities to follow our regulations and to conduct full and thorough tests of their equipment.
Last week I signed a Secretarial Order establishing the Outer Continental Shelf Safety Oversight Board within the Department of the Interior. Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Wilma Lewis – a former U.S. Attorney and former Interior Inspector General – will lead the Safety Oversight Board. She will be joined by Interior’s Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall, and Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget Rhea Suh.
They will provide recommendations for steps we can take to strengthen OCS safety and to improve overall management, regulation, and oversight of OCS operations.
They will look at all options. I will report to President Obama within 30 days on what, if any, immediate additional precautions and technologies should be required. Another important function of the Safety Oversight Board will be to provide oversight and support to MMS as they conduct their joint investigation of the incident with the U.S. Coast Guard.
I am confident we will get to the bottom of what happened. Those responsible will be held accountable. And the lessons we learn will help guide us as we responsibly, and safely, develop our Nation’s energy resources.
Sincerely,
Ken Salazar /s/
EDITOR’S NOTE: A friend of mine who works in the Interior Department shared this message with me.
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