BP HQ Rally and Protest

[OneAngryDemocrat]

Drafted by the Rockford Coffee Party and other Coffee Party coordinators around the country, we have adopted a resolution condemning BP's role in the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - and our plan is to have independant grassroot organizations take the Resolution to their elected officials on, or about July 23d.

Members of the Rockford Coffee Party will meet the next day, July 24th, in Warrenville, Illinois and protest the corporate headquarters of BP America.

Tentatively, we will be first holding a rally in a park, 1.1 miles away.

We invite EVERYONE to join us in planning this event who is mad as hell, and wants to let British Petroleum's CEO, CFO, and all the other three-letter S.O.B.'s know exactly what you think about them, and their corporate greed that has put money ahead of lives, and our planet.

Anyways, here's our Draft Resolution, which should be wrapped up sometime today.


A Resolution Holding British Petroleum Accountable

WHEREAS, On April 20, 2010, The Deepwater Horizon, owned and operated by Transocean Ltd., and leased to British Petroleum, PLC, exploded and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven employees and injuring seventeen others, causing an ensuing catastrophic oil discharge into the Gulf's waters; (1) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum’s oil spill has caused an ongoing catastrophe which endangers the Gulf coast fishing, shrimping, oystering and tourism industries, permanently eliminating jobs, negatively affecting coastal housing and commercial property values, thus endangering the region's already troubled banking sector and resulting in direct economic damages many times the size of the civil fines, and jeopardizes the entire Gulf coast ecosystem; (6) (13) (23) (31) (32) (33) (34) (35) (36) and

WHEREAS, The total amount of oil spilled into the Gulf's waters, as of June 7, was conservatively estimated to be between 12,000 barrels and 100,000 barrels, (500,000 - 4,200,000 US gallons) per day, with an attendant civil fine between $1,034,000,000 and $14,147,000,000, and is now believed to have surpassed the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the largest oil spill, ever; (11) (13) (19) (20) (24) and

WHEREAS, The federal government's Mineral Management Service rule changes made in April 2008 allowed British Petroleum to forego regular safety requirements because British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon was considered an exploratory well and not a regular production well; (3) (20) (51) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum has not been forthcoming with factual information regarding the volume of oil escaping the well point, the toxicity of the dispersant they are using, has demanded clean-up crews to sign non-disclosure confidentiality waivers, secluded rig explosion survivors from their families and the press for forty hours after the event, has prevented journalists from investigating the conditions surround this disaster, and has had to be forced by government to provide a live video feed to the oil leak; (2) (6) (7) (8) (15) (21) (22) (37) (38) (39) (40) (50) and

WHEREAS, The Deepwater Horizon's wellhead had been fitted with a blowout preventer (BOP), but it was not fitted with remote-control or acoustically-activated triggers for use in cases of emergencies requiring the platform to be evacuated; (27) (28) (41) and

WHEREAS, The efforts to stop the discharge of oil has caused multiple oil plumes in multiple locations, leaking crude oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico; (22) (42) (43) and

WHEREAS, Because of the climate of loose regulatory oversight that has existed for twenty years, BP has been able to circumvent the rules and regulations of the states and federal governments in order to maximize its profits while continuing to take environmental and safety risks; (20) and

WHEREAS, In the five years prior to the Deepwater Horizon's sinking, British Petroleum has been charged with 760 "egregious, willful" safety violations, resulting in 30 employee’s deaths and more than 200 serious injuries; (25) (44) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum has spent millions of dollars to lobby our Congress in regards to pending energy legislation; (10) (20) (29) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum has donated millions of dollars in campaign contributions to both Presidential and Congressional candidates; (29) and

WHEREAS, America has witnessed a steady stream of government regulators being rewarded with lucrative corporate jobs - to include the recent hiring of Anne Kolton, former head of public affairs at the Department of Energy as the head of British Petroleum's effort to defend their reputation - which has resulted in an unethical relationship between the industry and its regulators; (10) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum employees which are currently engaged in the oil spill cleanup have been denied appropriate safety equipment; (4) (5) (45) (46) and

WHEREAS, British Petroleum has released, to date, 715,000 gallons of the oil dispersant Corexit 9500 and refuses to abide by an EPA order to use a less toxic chemical oil dispersant, while simultaneously refusing EPA demands to disclose specific information regarding Corexit 9500's toxicity, citing proprietary disclosure; (5) (7) (8) (47) (48) (49) and

WHEREAS, Senator Robert Menendez (D), of New Jersey, has proposed legislation raising the current $75 million monetary cap oil companies must pay for the oil spills they cause; (16) and

WHEREAS, Senator Robert Menendez (D), of New Jersey, has proposed legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require oil polluters to pay for the full cost of oil spills, (17) therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the _________ Coffee Party holds British Petroleum responsible for the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; and be it further
RESOLVED, that British Petroleum must provide just compensation and make whole the people whom they have harmed with this disaster; (16) (17) (18) and be it further

RESOLVED, that British Petroleum be held solely financially responsible for all of the costs of the oil spill's clean up; (9) and be it further
RESOLVED, that in the event of a bankruptcy filing by British Petroleum, all financial obligations associated with the clean-up costs and compensation to individuals and the communities harmed, including those obligations which may result from pending litigation, be exempt from bankruptcy protection or given primary consideration during the liquidation of BP assets; (17) (23) and be it further

RESOLVED, that legislation be passed by our government mandating multiple and redundant safety features be imposed on all off-shore oil rigs to prevent future catrastrophic oil spills; (14) and be it further

RESOLVED, that our government ban on ALL new offshore drilling until such time that new legislation is passed that mitigates the risk of any future oil spill disasters; (12) and be it further

RESOLVED, that the fines for oil companies and their oil rigs failing safety inspections be doubled; and be it further

RESOLVED, that all exploratory oil wells be regulated in the same manner as regular production oil wells; (14) and be it further

RESOLVED, that British Petroleum be mandated by appropriate government legislation to fully disclose to the American people EVERY aspect of their clean-up operation(15); and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Environmental Protection Agency be granted, through appropriate government legislation, the authority to actually protect the environment and the authority to dictate which chemicals oil companies can, or cannot, disperse into the waters in which they drill; (14) and be it further

RESOLVED, that we, the people of the ___________ Coffee Party, fully endorse Senator Menendez's proposed legislation financially obligating oil companies for the oil spills they cause, as well as lifting the current $75 million cap on damages which oil companies must pay for the oil spills they cause, and demand that the whole of Congress do so, as well, and immediately pass into law both the ''Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act of 2010'' and the ''Big Oil Bailout Prevention Trust Fund Act of 2010''; (16) (17) (18) and be it further

RESOLVED, that Attorney General Holder bring to justice those responsible for British Petroleum's criminal negligence and hold them accountable for both this unparralled ecological disaster and for the deaths and injuries this catastrophe of epic proportions has caused; (1)

Signed,


Bibliography

(1) Feds have launched criminal oil spill investigation, AG says -
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/01/holder.gulf.spill/index.html?hpt=T1
(2) BP Engineers Making Little Headway on Leaking Well –
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/29spill.html?pagewanted=1&hpw&adxnnlx=1275134694-snbZ1FP+ubjiH0azvV%2FRgw
(3) Salazar Says Elizabeth Birnbaum Has Resigned as MMS Director -
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-27/salazar-says-elizabeth-birnbaum-has-resigned-as-mms-director.html
(4) US oil spill clean-up boats recalled after crews fall ill -
http://www.physorg.com/news194170114.html
(5) Is BP's cure worse than the spill? Maine toxicologist tells about swimming in gulf -
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/144655.html
(6) Unchecked oil flow would cause disaster ‘heretofore unseen by humanity’ -
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/100049-unchecked-oil-flow-would-cause-disaster-heretofore-unseen-by-humanity
(7) BP not adequately studying dispersant options-EPA -
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2759923220100527
(8) BP refuses EPA order to switch to less-toxic oil dispersant -
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100523,0,3247111,print.story
(9) Tell EPA: Take Away BP’s Billions in Federal Contracts -
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_epa_take_away_bps_billions_in_federal_contracts?=partner59
(10) BP hires ex-Energy Dept official for US media effort -
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3022354920100531
(11) Gov't Task Force Finds BP Low-Balled Oil Spill Estimates -
http://www.energyboom.com/policy/govt-task-force-finds-bp-low-balled-oil-spill-estimates
(12) Obama to freeze Arctic drilling -
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/05/27/obama-oil-offshore.html
(13) BP spill eclipses Exxon Valdez, says government -
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q4F720100527?type=domesticNews
(14) Obama to Revamp Rig Rules Amid Demands to Take On BP -
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-26/obama-to-revamp-rig-rules-amid-demands-to-take-on-bp-update1-.html
(15) An internal email entitled, ''worthwhile meetings,'' from Chasidy Fisher Hobbs to the members of Emerald Coastkeeper, Inc, and forwarded to the Rockford Coffee Party detailing BP's mandated non-disclosure statements in order to render clean-up assistance.
(16) Robert Menendez Pushes Bill Raising BP's Oil Spill Liability To $10 Billion -
http://menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=c9ca441f-ddac-4ebb-ad3a-b044cb3c79f8
(17) Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act of 2010 (Introduced in Senate) -
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111%3AS.3305%3A
(18) Big Oil Bailout Prevention Trust Fund Act of 2010 (Introduced in Senate) -
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:3:./temp/~c111eHV7Ws::
(19) Flow Rate Group Provides Preliminary Best Estimate Of Oil Flowing from BP Oil Well -
http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Flow-Rate-Group-Provides-Preliminary-Best-Estimate-Of-Oil-Flowing-from-BP-Oil-Well.cfm
(20) Oil regulator fired as Obama plans drilling pause -
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-to-extend-offshore-drilling-moratorium-2010-05-27-111300
(21) BP managers avoid testifying at hearing -
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/95084539.html
(22) La. scientist locates another vast oil plume in the gulf -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052802346.html?nav=rss_email%2Fcomponents
(23) Oil Spill damage spreads through Gulf Economies
http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/30/news/economy/gulf_economy/index.htm
(24) Scientist: BP Oil Spill estimates Improbable
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126975907
(25) BP Violations and Spills
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/bp-violations-and-spills/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBigPicture+%28The+Big+Picture%29
(26) The Supertanker Strategy
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/the-supertanker-strategy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&
utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBigPicture+%28The+Big+Picture%29
(27) MMS Lacks Sufficient Rules for BOP
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/18/18greenwire-mms-lacks-sufficient-rules-for-offshore-drilli-68738.html?scp=9&sq=MMS&st=cse
(28) Focus Turns to Well Blocking System (Blowout Preventer (BOP))
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/science/11blowout.html?scp=1&sq=blowout%20preventer&st=cse
(29) BP Enjoys Lobbying Strength, Close Ties to Lawmakers as Federal Investigation Looms ttp://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/04/on-thursday-oil-giant-bp.html
(30) BP Promised Feds It Could Handle 25 Times More Oil Than It's Losing ttp://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/07/27858.htm
(31) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/28/94982/gulf-oil-spills-economic-impact.html
(32) "US oil spill 'threatens way of life', governor warns". BBC News (BBC). May 2, 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8656627.stm.
(33) "US says BP move to curb oil leak 'no solution". BBC News. 2010-05-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8685969.stm.
(34) http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1986323,00.html.
(35) http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1274769077181360.xml&coll=1.
(36) Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: No End in Sight for Eco-Disaster. Time. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1986323,00.html.
(37) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126565283. Retrieved 2010-05-18. # ^ "Transocean denies forcing crew to sign waivers". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2010-05-12.
(38) "Transocean denies forcing crew to sign waivers". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2010-05-12. http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article214729.ece.
(39) http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6496749n
(40) “BP’s” Photo Blockade of the Gulf Oil Spill”. Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/26/the-missing-oil-spill-photos.html
(41) Gold, Russell; Caselman; Chazan (2010-04-28). “Leaking Oil Well Lacked Safeguard Device.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423504575212031417936798.html.
(42) Brown, Matthew; Dearen, Jason (2010-05-27). "Gulf Oil Spill: Scientists Discover Massive New Sea Oil Plume http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
(43) http://www.washingtonpost.com, May 28, 2010
(44) http://abcnews.go.com, May 27, 2010
(45) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/28/95049/bps-systemic-failure-harms-workers.html
(46) Associated Press, Gulf spill workers complaining of flulike symptoms, June 3, 2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGyt_zfjX_sVsaMTgnOtGnrEXTMwD9G3NGV0
(47) http://www.ocregister.com/news/blowout-73199-ocprint-mms-plan.html
(48) http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10764914
(49) http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/oil-cleanup-workers-getting-sick-bp-not-providing-safety-gear.php
(50) http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/29/95064/oil-spill-is-taking-a-toll-on.html
(51) http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1816797320100518

[OneAngryDemocrat]

1. Date of Rally Changed to July 19th

It's a Monday, but the only day before September that the park is available.

[Subdivisions]

2. the Coffee Party? Really? n/t