Was the government unprepared for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill

by Peter Stern

It is still unclear as to why the federal government was unprepared for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Some authorities are investigating a dependable source which points the finger at North Korea as the source of the explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Some information points to a North Korean torpedo directed at the oil rigs is the reason for the explosion. Other sources of information consider the possibility of a disgruntled group of environmentalists who determined to cause the explosion to show the inability of the Federal Government to ensure the safe drilling measures taken by oil companies and to create additional chaos concerning the environmental status quo as a means to demand Congress cease and desist oil drilling immediately.

So far, investigators have not determined or dismissed the idea of possible terrorism or sabotage of the oil drilling by overseas or domestic terrorists and/or perpetrators, but nothing is being overlooked by the FBI and other agencies involved in the investigation. In addition, there is a question of faulty or damage safety equipment not stopping the spill after the explosion. Known as a blowout preventer, or BOP, a five-story high, 900,000-pound concrete contraption has always served as a critical backstop for oil rigs. Rig operators always believed that if something went wrong and oil started gushing from an open well, the blowout preventer's giant hydraulic pistons and shears would clamp shut a gushing well. This seems to be a part of the investigation, as to why after the explosion, oil continued to flow out, become a spill and continue to spread throughout the Gulf.

There are many questions still unanswered. Who or what is to blame for the explosion and the spill has yet to be determined. How much is the federal government responsible for the explosion and oil spill? Some may say that whatever the reasons, the government still is at fault because it is supposed to maintain crucial oversight to the industry. Governor Rick Perry of Texas has the audacity to announce that people should not ask how the explosion and spill happened, that he sees it as an act of God. It is apparent to most Texans that Perry is simply trying to secure more religious right-wing votes in his bid for reelection in November.