HALLIBURTON's PART IN THIS…
So now we have the largest ecological mess in the history of man less than a couple hundred miles from my front door and out of the clear blue sky the name 'Halliburton" pops up.
Why am I not surprised that the name HALLIBURTON is part of an oil disaster. They are one of the players, part of the Trifecta of Death. British Petroleum, Deepwater Horizon and Halliburton.
They are a large international firm nicely entrenched off shore in Qatar to avoid US taxation yet large payments are made to them by the US government sometimes in no-bid deals OK'ed by the former White House. Their main board member was Richard Cheney, former VP and now Republican history re-writer. They have dark sides. His nickname is Dark Vader.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
Halliburton is at the forefront of a method for extracting oil and natural gas--a process called "horizontal hydrolic fracturing" and also known as hydrofracking--which involves injecting a high volume of toxic substances and water in the earth. This method raises serious environmental and health concerns.
In New Mexico, for example, similar processes have leached toxic chemicals into the water table at 800 sites. This controversial method of extraction is planned for widespread use in New York and other mid-Atlantic states to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation.
Yet, in 2005, at the urging of Vice President Dick Cheney, Congress created the so-called "Halliburton loophole" to the Clean Water Drinking Act (CWDA) to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating this process, despite its demonstrated contamination of drinking water. In 2001, Cheney's "energy task force" had touted the benefits of hydrofracking, while redacting references to human health hazards associated with hydrofracking; Halliburton, which was previously led by Cheney, reportedly earns $1.5 billion a year from its energy operations, which relies substantially on its hydrofracking business.
THE TROIKA
Halliburton got a lot of business from that administration also known as having the nickname, the TROIKA. A general meaning of the Russian word troika (Cyrillic alphabet: тройка) is three of a kind, a collection of three. Cheney Bush, Rove. You will here more about their exploits, I promise you. During the disastrous Bush Administration, Halliburton received a large share of the Military and "Humanitarian" contracts from the government.
George "the conquerer" Bush and his Dad, "Bushido the first", made a lot of money in that black stuff called oil. They were magnates, more like magnets as the money just seemed to come to them and their friends. Richard Cheney was the head of Halliburton and resigned in title only, it seems they still send him lots of money, to take the Vice-presidency where even more contracts went on to Halliburton and on a no-bid basis.
IN THE PAST DECADE
Halliburton was involved in a kickback scheme that prompted Halliburton to fire two workers and reimburse the Pentagon $6.3 million. Yea, two guys just happened to skip with millions. Sacrificial lambs. additionally, the possible overcharging for food services which Halliburton reimbursed the Defense Department for nearly $30 million. Halliburton has set aside $141 million to pay other possible reimbursements.
A separate DCAA audit which accused KBR of overcharging by $61 million for gasoline delivered to serve the civilian market in Iraq last year. Halliburton has said the charges were proper. Right... like i believe them. Critics say Halliburton is an example of war profiteering by companies friendly to the Bush administration. Company and administration officials say politics had nothing to do with Halliburton's contracts in Iraq.
VP and modern day story teller Richard Cheney has repeatedly said he had no involvement with the company once he left Halliburton before the 2000 campaign. However, his financial disclosure form indicates he still receives deferred compensation from the firm. Almost 3/4 million a year. Vested Interest?
Halliburton was a top Pentagon contractor well before Cheney became vice president. According to Defense Department statistics, from fiscal year 1996 to 2000, Halliburton won $2.4 billion in contracts. During the first two years of the Bush administration, Halliburton's take was about equal to its average over the last five years of the Clinton administration. Why do we wait for the folks at dinner to throw up, when the menu should of said RAT SOUP?
For the past administration oil was big business, really big business, and the Bush family is big oil, and Cheney was big with Halliburton. How big? You can't mention Halliburton and not mention Cheney who made a few shekels for them especially with contracts awarded to repair IRAQ and they were not even open to bids. From his VP tax statement when he took office. We call this joined at the hip.
Salary/bonus (gross): $821,896
Elective deferred salary: $403,166
Stock equivalent unit bonus: $396,213
Senior executive deferred compensation contributions: $53,692
Elective deferred salary lump sum payout: $1,140,160
Restricted stock imputed income: $7,560,000
Stock option income: $21,964,254
Senior executive deferred compensation payout: $2,797,128
I have nothing against making money BUT there are questions. Well maybe relationships will be questioned about this starting with the hidden OIL ENERGY meetings conducted by, You guessed it Dick Cheney. If you wish to really set your hair on fire search Google. Key Words: Cheney, Oil Policy, Safety, Halliburton Corruption and so forth.
WAS THIS THE BEGINNING
The National Energy Policy Development Group was a group, created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001, that was chaired by Vice President Richard Cheney. The group, commonly referred to as the "Cheney Energy Task Force," produced a National Energy Policy report in May 2001.
In a cover note to George W. Bush, Cheney wrote that, "We have developed a national energy policy designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the future." The composition of the task force, according to the report, was confined to government officials under closed doors.
However, according to media reports at the time, energy industry executives participated in the Task Force. In particular, those identified as having been involved included then, Enron President and Chairman Kenneth Lay and lobbyists Haley Barbour and Marc Racicot.
In April 2001, the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, sought to obtain the records of the task force meetings. In July 2001 Judicial Watch filed suit on the grounds that the administration was not "in compliance with the Federal Advisory Commission Act which mandates that certain documents, task force members, meetings, and decision-making activities be open to the public."
Judicial Watch argued that the acting as energy lobbyists "regularly attended and fully participated" in the group's meetings held behind closed doors, and were in fact members of the group. The Sierra Club also filed suit and the two actions were later merged. At issue is whether Cheney allowed private energy lobbyists and big-name campaign contributors to participate in the work of the group, and if so, whether that information should be made public," UPI reported.
AUTHORIZED CORNER CUTTING, SEVERAL TIMES
The Wall Street Journal reported, the leaking oil well lacked a safeguard device: The crude escaping into the Gulf of Mexico didn't have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills. The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week. US regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn't have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.
The recovered blowout preventer will be used to help the joint BOEM -USCG investigation determine the circumstances surrounding the explosion, fire, pollution, and sinking of the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon.
Credit : U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Lehmann.
The US considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well. Hmm, was this decision made after those meetings.
An acoustic trigger costs about $500,000, industry officials said. The Deepwater Horizon had a replacement cost of about $560 million, and BP says it is spending $6 million a day to battle the oil spill. Some major oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell PLC and France's Total SA, sometimes use the device even where regulators don't call for it.
At sixty-six million dollars a day profit BP will buy the next elections to insure our congressmen do not regulate the gas business. In addition, the dumb and blind idiots on the Supreme Court who OK'ed Corporations to donate money to any political party and candidate for any amount they wished will do well too.
HANDIWORK BY HALLIBURTON
OK, this we do know, they poured the concrete seal for the well that blew less than twenty hours later. And in some of he judgement calls for the perfect storm. They were also involved in the blow in Timura. Coincidence?
We also know certain safety rules were offset in the economical prowess that these companies exhibit. Especially with friends, and you may change that to co-conspirators in the future investigations into this the biggest ecological disaster ever in the US. The safety device the preventer failed. Even the ROV's couldn't turn the key to stop the leak.
We know human error will enter into the decisions concerning the single and double walled riser pipes. We know other corners were cut for the sake of profit and big business. We know a supervisor may of made a really bad decision. We know about the faulty preventer. We know about the dead batteries.
This is big, this is a sixty six million dollar a day company with big hands, big wallets and greedy Congressmen and Senators. Big oil runs the United States and no one is big enough to stop it. Not even the deaths of those eleven men, and the pain of the families who lost a father, husband, mentor.
Maybe those secret oil meetings held by the former Vice President, Richard Cheney need looking into. There is a ton of info on that fiasco, closed to the public by Cheney but recently released by the information act. Big oil had access to meetings the press was not allowed into. Today Cheney spends most of his time bashing President Obama, and re-writing history.
GREAT SOURCE
Sometimes you are writing about something and you get a referral from a friend who is on a parallel course or has information that can save you time and might have insight into a situation or what we commonly call the inside track. David D. sent me this lead article by a corporate attorney in the oil industry. It is the most comprehensive, accurate compelling parallel data I have come about. If you are serious about learning the truth about the Deepwater horizon spill read this article in depth on the website The Encyclopedia of Earth.
LINK: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill
THE FEDS STORY
QUOTE: The dynamic nature of the BP oil spill has been a challenge for a range of communities – from hotel operators to fishermen to local community leaders. We know the American people have questions about how the federal government is responding to this crisis, and we are committed to providing the answers with clarity and transparency. The site you’re viewing right now is a symbol of that commitment.
GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse is a new online tool that provides you with near-real time information about the response effort. Developed by NOAA with the EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Interior, the site offers you a “one-stop shop” for spill response information.
The site integrates the latest data the federal responders have about the oil spill’s trajectory with fishery area closures, wildlife data and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and current positions of deployed research ships — into one customizable interactive map.
GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse employs the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) a web-based GIS platform developed by NOAA and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center. ERMA was designed to facilitate communication and coordination among a variety of users — from federal, state and local responders to local community leaders and the public. The site was designed to be fast and user-friendly, and we plan to keep it constantly updated.
The mapping tool includes only those vessels equipped with the automatic identification system and therefore is not representative of all the vessels supporting the largest oil spill response and recovery operation in U.S. history.
POINTS OF LIGHT - NO CONJECTURE
Tony Hayward, told Congress today that the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico “never should have happened, and I am deeply sorry that it did,”. He and BP understood the enormity of the spill’s environmental, economic and human disaster and the impending toll.
Hayward offered deep condolences, no answers to many questions and many commentators kind of hinted he "lawyered up". In judicial conversation, it means say nothing under oath because it may really come back to haunt you when theres a judge at the head of the room.
The CEO of BP, Mr. Hayward’s blank stares finally shifted and he read his remarks came after an hour of statements, mainly critiques and what I call "look goods", from committee members
Rep. Waxman, Head of the Energy and Commerce Committee, dropped a few bombs and went after BP’s “corporate complacency.” He said the committee searched 30,000 BP documents in vain looking for evidence of attention to the risks of the Macondo well. No one was really surprised when stuff vanishes when you have time to prepare. “There is not a single e-mail or document that shows you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at the well," "BP’s corporate complacency is astonishing," and "BP cut corner after corner to save a million dollars here and a few hours or days there.
UNEXPECTED ZEN BULLSHIT
Then Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the head NO man on the Republican side criticized the White House’s brokering the $20 billion fund as a “shakedown,” and apologized to Mr. Hayward for what he called the politicization of the crisis.
Further he added, Mr. Barton said he was “ashamed” of the meeting at the White House on Wednesday, at which top BP officials pledged to set aside $20 billion to pay future economic and environmental claims.
In 1993, Barton ran in the special election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Lloyd Bentsen, who became Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration. Barton finished third in the contest and missed a runoff slot.
Congressman Barton has taken $1.4 million in campaign contributions from the Oil industry since 1989, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Over 100.000 this year alone. The Congressman is the Ranking Minority Member on the Energy & Commerce Committee. Because of the bribes he takes he should not be on any committee other than decorations for the Bush Library. Another of our bought off political party hacks and possibly prejudiced in his thinking and upbringing.
Later, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, “Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate these Americans is a ‘tragedy’ but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now. Members from both parties should repudiate his comments.”
After that Haywood took a lesson from the party of NO and just about set a record for answering nothing. Just like some of the people we pay a lot of money to to protect us in Washington and some things are apparently clear...and require answers, legislation, controls and the possibility of criminal actions being brought forth.
HALLIBURTON CASTINGS
BP had a partner, HB. Halliburton put the castings around the bore hole in the sea bed. If the castings failed, the entire operation can, and did fail. The two step process involved in part one is to seal the casting in the hole because there are pipes in the pipes and they have to be secured to prevent blow by. This serves to block any seepage of gas and oil. The second cement job secures the site for later collection from the well heads. Think of it as a partial attachment or temporary filling you get at the dentist till the permanent tooth or bridge is installed.
This is the second incident that Halliburton and cement fail. It occurred in Timor. They come together with a similar end result. An oil disaster. Who was calling the shots at the scene. We know the scenario. Halliburton will say BP accepted the work and BP will claim Halliburton did sub par installations.
My question is where was the oversight? Where were the inspectors, MMS watchdogs. Where was the safety net when reports of anomalies occurred. Who held the kill switch to possibly stave off the impending disaster. Nothing, no answers, even Haywood didn't have a clue. Or did he…
TRUTH
My heart is strained by this mess with BP but, it easily could have been Shell or Exxon. They all operated by a set of rules determined by the deep well oil regulators, the supposed watchdogs of the sub surface well drilling. The meetings to establish these rules and regulations were closed to the media and the public as ordered by VP Cheney. He used the Homeland Security rules about national interests. The truth is he did something he did not want scrutinized by the public or the press.
In fact many on his staff, denied the oil people were not in attendance. Tapes and other photos proved different. It was their deregulation and the removal of certain safety codes that were to blame. "Liar, Liar , pants of fire".
Since 2001, the year these meetings were held little has improved in deep well safety, and technology other than how to "drill, baby, drill", faster and more efficiently. The ability to stop leaks, repair and prepare for events such as what happened were not on the table. As the emergency plans requested by Congress were published, our Senators and Congressmen were astonished to note that 55% or better of those catastrophe plans were about "How do we handle Media Fallout".
In a sense we all looked the other way as it was explained to us by the Bush administration that certain things had to be done to protect this great land of ours. Some ideas fell under the war powers acts, homeland defense, and presidential powers.
Cheney is very silent now, his recent heart problems might have quieted him for a while. His daughter with no credentials whatsoever is still babbling on, about what a great job her dad did. Spoken like a true daughter. We'll see if hearings take place on those MMS meetings and who said what.
There are several media groups demanding the minutes and information of those meetings be disclosed to the public arena and then be judged before they "accidentally" get destroyed.