BP chief executive refutes scientists' claims of large underwater oil plumes from Gulf spill

[charlesg]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5isdhr3pSmkU3d0LQmwiuJpSRK7xw

BP chief executive refutes scientists' claims of large underwater oil plumes from Gulf spill
By Matthew Brown (CP)

VENICE, La. — BP PLC CEO Tony Hayward is refuting claims by scientists that there are large undersea plumes from the Gulf oil spill.

Hayward said Sunday the oil is on the water's surface, and that BP's sampling showed "no evidence" of oil in the water column.

Scientists from several universities have reported plumes of what appears to be oil suspended in clouds that stretched for miles (kilometres) and reached hundreds of feet (meters) beneath the Gulf's surface.

Hayward also says the company is narrowing its response to the oil spill to the Louisiana coast and bulking up cleanup forces there for a fight that could last months.

[quinnox]

1. Reminds me of Baghdad Bob

except even he may have had more credibility than a BP oil executive these days.

[northernlights]

2. Tony Hayward can go fuck himself

He's refusing to allow independent sampling. Cuz BP knows everything. x(

[gristy]

3. Do you have a direct quote or a link to this assertion?

The report below would indicate that if he indeed has said this, he has no authority, 'cause that ship has already left the dock.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/researchers_begin_8-day_missio.html

[northernlights]

8. there have been articles for a couple weeks now, in which University marine researchers complain

that they have been denied access by BP (along with the Coast Guard, for cover I suppose).

Looks like there complaints were heard, which is a good thing.

[JackRiddler]

4. I don't trust news stories that don't understand the word refute.

Tony Hayward disputed, he denied, he contested, but he most certainly did not refute.

[Birthmark]

10. Thanks, you saved me the trouble. :) nt

[Festivito]

17. His refutation involves secretly proving a negative by his corporate self...

... despite the other finding's peer review that he does not even address let alone match.

BP's sampling showed "no evidence" that oil was suspended in large masses beneath the surface. He didn't elaborate on how the testing was done.

He would seem to be not much more than a tool.

[Scuba]

5. Who you gonna believe, Tony the oil guy or some bunch scientists who don't even believe in God?.

[laughingliberal]

6. No surprise. Corporate whores and RWers are always disputing science. nt

[Robbien]

7. Narrowing its reponse to LA coast? ..WTF?

First, to narrow a response the response should first have been wider than the LA coast. It is debatable that BP ever covered more than a tiny portion of the LA coast must less any of the other four states.

Second, how is only responding to one state an acceptable idea. Five states are in peril.

Third. A fight that could last months? Years or Decades would be a more acceptable term. Twenty years after Exxon-Valdez its oil is still lapping Alaskan shores.

[yella_dawg]

9. Anybody see the Cousteau video recently?

Sure as hell looked like suspended oil in the water column to me.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. How can he defend using Corexit AND claim that all of the oil is on the surface

in the same breath.

Corexit doesn't erase the oil and turn it into water, it breaks it into globs so that it sinks below the surface where it can't be seen.

What a maroon.

[Catherina]

12. Why are we at the mercy of what BP admits?

Where's the official government assessment?

[Junkdrawer]

13. And no one in the media dares question this guy to his face...

He gets on the air and lies and the media says "Yes Sir!".

[xultar]

14. He's gonna need some of that oil to get my boot out of his lying ass.

[Junkdrawer]

15. K&R - So everyone can see what a sociopathic liar he is. n.t

[WeDidIt]

16. Tony Hayward needs to be arrested and put on trial

Then hopefully convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

[City Lights]

18. Prove it, asswipe!

You're a fucking liar and your breath stinks. You have ZERO credibility.

[QC]

19. He did not refute it--he disputed it.

Those are two very different things, and the difference matters a lot in this case.

Is it really too much to expect journalists to have some command of the language?