Rep. Waxman says congressional investigation shows Gulf oil well's blowout preventer had leak

[northernlights]

Are we looking now at a prosecutable crime?

Rep. Henry Waxman says that his committee's investigation into the Gulf oil spill reveals that a key safety device, the blowout preventer, had a leak in a crucial hydraulic system.

The California Democrat said in a hearing Wednesday that the investigation also discovered that the well had failed a negative pressure test just hours before the April 20 explosion.

He cited BP documents received by the Energy and Commerce Committee that showed there was a breach in the well integrity that allowed methane gas and possibly other hydrocarbons to enter the well.

http://start.localnet.com/article.php?article=D9FLCJLG0.html

[groovedaddy]

1. Sounds like criminal negligence to me. n.t

[JDPriestly]

2. Negligence, yes, but criminal, please explain.

Are you claiming they did not test this part before installing it? Do you think they should have had a back-up for the faulty part? Please explain, what made this negligence criminal in your opinion?

[groovedaddy]

3. The same thing with the recent mine disaster in WV and Massey Coal, who is now under a

criminal investigation - i.e. the company KNOWS there is a potentially catostrophic problem and doesn't fix it.

[madokie]

4. I would say that the criminal part comes from the fact they knew it wasn't right

but went ahead and done it anyway. my 2 cents worth. :hi: