Disasters

"Conflict of Interest Questions Raised in Blowout Preventer Testing"

"A Transocean supervisor who worked on the Deepwater Horizon rig before it exploded has since participated in an investigation of the blowout preventer that failed to stop gushing oil from the well it was drilling — a possible conflict of interest that a congressional critic says threatens the integrity of the probe."

Source: FuelFix, 12/23/2010

"Helping the Hidden Homeless in Rural Md."

As Christmas approaches former tobacco country in rural Prince George's County, Maryland, a food bank helps poor people living in trailers, discarded campers, and even tents. It's not just food, blankets, and clothing that they need. They need kerosene, propane, heating oil, and firewood. They do not qualify for federal low-income fuel assistance. They do not have plumbing or electricity. It is 23 degress outside and they are 23 miles from the White House.

Source: Wash Post, 12/21/2010

"2010's World Gone Wild: Quakes, Floods, Blizzards"

"This was the year the Earth struck back. Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 — the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined."

Source: AP, 12/20/2010

Louisiana Berms Ineffective in Capturing Oil From BP Spill: Report

"Louisiana's $360 million plan to build sand berms to capture oil from the BP Macondo well was not effective and was approved in large part because of political pressure from Louisiana elected officials and President Barack Obama, according to a new report from the National Oil Spill Commission."

Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 12/17/2010

Safety Board Finds Oil Industry Failing to Learn From Past Disasters

"Independent federal experts investigating the blowout aboard the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig are finding major parallels between this year's disaster and a 2005 blast that killed 15 workers at a BP PLC refinery in Texas -- indicating the industry has failed to overhaul safety rules, they said [Wednesday]."

Source: Greenwire, 12/16/2010

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