Cost to BP should not be a factor in implementing precautions
By Linda L. Young
I live in the Florida Panhandle, about 200 feet from the Gulf of Mexico.
Soon I will lose track of the number of times that I’ve smelled the growing
mass of oil that looms out past the southern horizon. When I go for my
evening walk these days, I’m already conditioned to check the air first to
make sure that “the smell” is not back. I learned that lesson a few weeks
ago when, after walking in it for over an hour, I returned home with a
splitting headache.
It’s been almost six weeks since the BP oil well exploded and took 11 lives.
There has been a lot of criticism of the federal government’s handling of
this unprecedented disaster, but my expectations are much closer to home.
I’ve waited and watched for encouraging signs that my state and local
governments are gearing up to provide maximum protection for our waters. I
do see a few oil booms stretched out here and there along shorelines and I
was able to get a copy of my county’s protection plan, which completely
relies on these few booms.. However, the county initially wanted more
extensive protections for our fairly pristine, highly productive estuaries,
bayous, marshes and rivers, but those plans were scaled back by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). What??? Why would the state
agency that is tasked with protecting our environment ask a county to take
fewer precautions?
Could it have anything to do with the fact that FDEP signed a no-bid
contract with a consulting firm called WRSCompass, which was hired to work
with Florida cities and counties in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil
disaster? This North Carolina-based company’s chief executive is Kathleen
Shanahan, a former chief-of-staff to Jeb Bush and former vice-president Dick
Cheney. Cheney’s former company, Halliburton, conducted repairs on the
Deepwater site hours before the April 20 explosion which triggered the
massive oil spill. Records show that on May 8th, FDEP awarded the contract,
which is worth as much as $250,000 to the company. General Counsel for
WRSCompass is Greg Munson, whose most recent position was General Counsel
for the Florida FDEP. That may sound appropriate for a consulting firm now
advising counties as they prepare for the onslaught of toxic oil, but Mr.
Munson’s litigation strategies for the Bush administration were often much
more friendly to the state’s polluters than to clean water and air
advocates.
While I am no expert on keeping oil off of our beaches and out of the
intracoastal waterway, I can see from my research that we are not doing
anywhere near all that we can do to prepare and protect our waters from the
oil that is sure to come. Additionally, what plans are in place to move
people who can’t live in their homes when the oil moves closer and the fumes
are overwhelming? I have heard nothing of these plans so far.
On May 20th, I served a verified complaint on Mike Sole, Secretary of the
Florida DEP. My complaint reminded Secretary Sole that he is obligated by
Florida law to protect Florida’s air, water and land from unlawful
pollution. Our air has already been impacted by BP’s disaster and soon our
waters will, as well. It has been six weeks since this disaster began and
our state has not taken enforcement action against BP. Is this overly-slow
reaction further related to the appointment of former Attorney General Jim
Smith as a key strategizer for the state’s potential litigation against BP?
Mr. Smith was a registered lobbyist for BP for several recent years.
Whatever the reason, time is wasting and we, the taxpayers of Florida, want
assurances that our state officials are doing everything in their power to
protect our resources. As citizens we have the authority to hold the
Florida DEP accountable when it fails to enforce our environmental laws. My
verified complaint to Mr. Sole gives him notice that legal actions may
result if his sluggish response to this disaster continues, and any citizen
of Florida can join me in this effort. For more information go to my
organization’s website: www.cleanwaternetwork-fl.org
<http://www.cleanwaternetwork-fl.org <http://www.cleanwaternetwork-fl.org/> > .
Linda Young is the director of the Clean Water Network of FL, a non-profit
environmental organization with 300 member groups and thousands of
individuals that are working together to protect Florida’s waters.
