Lawmakers are pouncing on a report out today by BP that shows the oil giant spreading blame for its massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to other companies in addition to itself. House Global Warming Chairman Edward Markey condemned the report's findings. "Of [BP's] own eight key findings, they only explicitly take responsibility for half of one," Markey said in a statement. "BP is happy to slice up blame, as long as they get the smallest piece." BP shifted some responsibility to Halliburton and Transocean, its two subcontractors on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. House Oversight and Government Reform ranking member Darrell Issa did not single out BP, but he did criticize the industry and all companies involved. The report "outlines a degree of negligence by BP, its partners, and regulators that can only be called shameful," Issa said. Markey dismissed the report and said it was not as significant as other investigations -- namely those launched by Congress, the Interior Department and President Obama's oil spill commission. These probes "will hold the most weight with the public and with those tasked with overseeing the oil industry," Markey said. Those investigations are still ongoing. In related news, the Interior Department is announcing a report today on offshore drilling safety as well as a report on the reforms the department is undergoing that were prompted by the spill.
This article appeared in the Saturday, September 11, 2010 edition of National Journal Daily.
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