Despite the promises to change and other platitudes listed in BP’s 2010 sustainability report, the reality here in the Gulf is that BP is minimizing the severity of their drilling disaster and short-changing the communities still-reeling from BP’s crude and corexit. From efforts to limit their liability for environmental damages to huge issues with the claims process, BP’s rhetoric does not match their actions. The 2010 Sustainability report continues that trend. While the report’s language tackles the Gulf disaster head on, the statistics on the second page of the version posted online amazingly leave out any estimate of the volume of oil released from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.It will be a long road to restoration in the Gulf, and BP will not make things right solely on their own accord. Congress and the administration must make BP pay for Gulf ecosystem restoration. By ensuring the maximum fines and penalties possible are levied against BP and then directly allocated to bringing back the Gulf environment, we can jumpstart long-needed ecosystem restoration in the Gulf of Mexico region.Preventing future disasters of this magnitude cannot be left to BP or others in the industry. We heard promises of increased safety after the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion, and 5 years later we got BP’s next great insult to the Gulf with the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. Congress and the administration must act to give local, impacted communities a seat at the energy decision-making table to ensure permits are properly reviewed and response plans are fully developed and realistic.Dan Favre is GRN’s Communications Director.
