The next big corporate disaster

When we let the banks regulate themselves we got the 2008 financial crisis.

When we let the oil drillers regulate themselves we got the BP Oil spill

When we let the coal miners reulate themselves we got the Massey Coal Mine Exposion

What do you suppose will result from the government's new plan to allow the Pork Industry to regulate itself?

Trump to remove FDA inspectors from Pork Industry and allow corporate inspectors to regulate themselves

Two takeawys for me:

1) Probably dont want to  be a long term shareowner of Conagra Foods, or Kraft-Heinz(Oscar Meyer)

2) I think I'll stick with the all-beef hot dogs from now on.    But what am I going to do about bacon?

PJ, I've worked for two oil and gas companies.  My best friend is a senior manager for one of the World's largest oil and gas company.  You don't have a clue what you're talking about.

I know - you're buddy, Pete, right?     Does he still think the BP OIl spill was all Obama's fault?

From Brookings...

"It was not offshore drilling per se that led to the accident, but rather the fact that too cozy a relationship between regulators from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) and owners and operators of  the Deepwater Horizon rig led to woefully inadequate regulatory oversight. There was also poor coordination and inadequate lines of responsibility among BP, Transocean, and Haliburton employees. Additionally, there was no contingency planning by the companies or the U.S. Coast Guard on what to do in the event of an emergency—a  grave shortcoming when you are drilling at depths with little past experience. Finally, from the evidence presented in court and in regulatory proceedings, it is clear that there was gross negligence on the part of BP and its partners who placed short-term profits against technically sound drilling practices, with untold damage in the public trust of the entire petroleum industry, an industry on which the world’s future lies."

PJ, you said that regulations have been eliminated in the oil industry.  This is not the case.  In fact, no regulations have been relaxed.

They sure as heck were prior to the big spill.    And the so-called "inspectors" were on chummy grounds with the people they inspected.  Many of them were hired from the very companies they were suppossed to enforce regulations upon.

Thats how Republicans govern.

You see it today too with Trump's EPA department thats run by oil lobbiests.

PJ, who is the government going to hire with experience about offshore drilling if not from companies doing the drilling?  You're silly.

Inspectors need experience in offshore drilling to inspect safety conditions?  Really?   And health department officials need experience running a restaurant to enforce safe food handling at them?

If you're more interested in taking money from crooks than having safe employment areas than you tell companies to regulate themselves.    

This was the official safety summary of your offshore drilling experts prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill...

Big Oil's buddies in the government dont see any issues prior to spill. Go figure!

"In February 2009, BP filed a 52-page exploration and environmental impact plan for the Macondo well with the Minerals Management Service(MMS), an arm of the United States Department of the Interior that oversees offshore drilling. The plan stated that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities".^[16] In the event an accident did take place, the plan stated that due to the well being 48 miles (77 km) from shore and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts would be expected.^[16] The Department of the Interior exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling operation from a detailed environmental impact study after concluding that a massive oil spill was unlikely.^[17][18] In addition, following a loosening of regulations in 2008, BP was not required to file a detailed blowout plan.^[19]"

Pete meets with these regulators, and he's not friends with any of them after being in the business for nearly 40 years.  So, what things will regulators that came from a different industry regulate?  The placement of casing, the BOP, the well pressurizing, them chemical additives, the use of gama rays to examine equipment, the proper use of the umbilical cord.  How the hell does a regulator know if these processes are being done well if they don't even know how these things work?  Let's get a non-golfer to judge Tiger Woods swing.  Yep, that makes sense.

Then explain to me how Trump's picks for EPA administrators fit your Criteria.  Because they have ZERO experience with engineering or mining...they are lawyers and lobbiests

Scott Pruit doesn't know the first thing about oil drillling.   He's a lawyer.  And he spent his carrer getting paid to fight the EPA on behalf of your buddy Pete's industry (the one Trump put him in charge of regulating) - that and doing what lobbiests do to influece policy on behalf of the special interest groups thet represent.     Pruit had to be replaced as EPA head for abusing his office's finances.   

His replacement (Andrew Wheeler) is also a lawyer with no experience in fossil fuel mining....just fighting off regulators in court on behalf of those indutrys.

So it appears our regulators in the EPA have no experience in mining as Boilerman decries - they just have lots of experience defending those companies in court....and now they get to give their former bosses an A+ on safety and pollution control.     Some people think its a problem to have a revolving door between the government and K-street.   But you are entitled to your own opinion, Boilerman. 

PJ, I only have specific experience with ofhshore drilling.  Let's talk abouit that.