I have received the letter from Chairmen Waxman and Stupak of the of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, requesting that the CSB investigate the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout. It is my desire that the CSB do everything it can to facilitate the request and to undertake the investigation and determine what factors led to the explosion and failure of the blowout prevention system. ~John Bresland, CSB Chairman
In addition to the House and Senate Hearings, this would bring the number of official investigations to four:
- MMS-Coast Guard investigation required by the OCS Lands Act
- National Academy review requested by the Department of the Interior
- National Commission established by the President
- Chemical Safety Board review requested by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
I have long advocated an independent investigation capability for major OCS incidents and recommended a special commission in my testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Committee on May 11. However, is four official reviews too many? The MMS-CG investigation is well underway and is required by statute, but the 3 independent reviews have yet to begin. Perhaps these efforts can be consolidated. If not, their respective missions must be very clearly defined. Otherwise, there is a significant risk of gaps, confusion, and unnecessary overlap. We need to make sure that each group knows their role and is staffed to obtain the information needed to prevent the recurrence of other offshore tragedies, in the US and elsewhere.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 