Mark Tapscott over in the Washington Examiner:
The announcement of the SWAT teams received much media attention because it was made as the White House was being criticized in some quarters for a tardy response to the explosion that killed 11 crew members on the platform and the ensuing massive oil spill that followed the structure’s sinking in 5,000 feet of water.
But have you noticed we haven’t heard much at all about the results of those inspections? Maybe that’s because the SWAT teams found virtually nothing of significance?
Actually, what they found on the 29 rigs was a single violation on one rig and three violations on another. That’s it. None of the four violations was serious, though one involved flammable materials left in a safe welding area. The other violations included a testing procedure flaw, an uncovered six-inch by 12-inch hole, and expired eyewash bottles in a first aid kit.
The whole post here.
Not that this clears the drilling and oil industry, or the Interior Department. We still don’t know if the problems with the “fail-safe” measures were specific to this rig or is there a larger problem that government and industry are missing.