Are you fucking happy? The rig's on fire! I told you this was gonna happen.

[Enrique]

I think I like this Harrell guy...


http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/06/rigs-fire-i-told-you-was-gonna-happen

A prominent Houston attorney with a long record of winning settlements from oil companies says he has new evidence suggesting that the Deepwater Horizon's top managers knew of problems with the rig before it exploded last month, causing the worst oil spill in US history. Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing 15 rig workers and dozens of shrimpers, seafood restaurants, and dock workers, says he has obtained a three-page signed statement from a crew member on the boat that rescued the burning rig's workers. The sailor, who Buzbee refuses to name for fear of costing him his job, was on the ship's bridge when Deepwater Horizon installation manager Jimmy Harrell, a top employee of rig owner Transocean, was speaking with someone in Houston via satellite phone. Buzbee told Mother Jones that, according to this witness account, Harrell was screaming, "Are you fucking happy? Are you fucking happy? The rig's on fire! I told you this was gonna happen."

Whoever was on the other end of the line was apparently trying to calm Harrell down. "I am fucking calm," he went on, according to Buzbee. "You realize the rig is burning?"

At that point, the boat's captain asked Harrell to leave the bridge. It wasn't clear whether Harrell had been talking to Transocean, BP, or someone else.

On Friday a spokesman for Transocean said he couldn't confirm or deny whether the conversation took place. He was unable to make Harrell available for an interview.

(...)

[Mopar151]

1. "What part of ON FIRE

Don't you understand, fuckwit?"

Anybody found out more about why Schneeburger's guys bugged out?

[BrklynLiberal]

2. hmmm Wonder if Harrell will be involved in a small plane crash or suicided in a dingy motel room.

or BP will merely BUY him off with millions of dollars in hush money?

[HereSince1628]

3. A handful of comments from family of the dead and survivors themselves

have suggested that the natural gas pressure was tremendous and needed to be dealt with.

The executives apparently didn't heed the advice. So goes the law suit.

But lost income, lost companionship etc are legal concepts that have monetary mitigations. Dead zones in the ocean can't be accomodated in the same way. The damage to diversity, the damage to ocean community functions and structure can't be fixed by throwing money at them. Not being able to put a price on damage doesn't mean something is worthless, it can mean that it is has a price to big to name, iow, it is priceless.

In pursuit of pennies, BP has squandered many jewels.

[stuntcat]

4. kickity

:kick:

[Gates9]

5. We got us some juicy litigation comin up

I heard there was a cnn poll that said 75% of people want to see jail time.