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Danny Foster @dannyfoster
I agree that large industries often take unfair advantage of our system
What sort of legislation does the industry require? What steps do you think need to be taken?
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What the BP Oil Spill and West, Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Have in Common
Three years ago, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 people. It began leaking and didn’t stop for 87 days, laying waste to local shorelines, ecosystems, and economies.
The free market is an important tool to use to foster creativity and growth, but it has it’s limits and I believe the BP oil spill to be a tragic example of what happens when business is left unregulated.
Just recently in West, Texas, a fertilizer company was storing over 1000X the legal amount of fertilizer allowed by law when it exploded.
How many people need to die? How many towns need to be in ruin? How many ecosystems must be compromised and demolished before we realize that governments must be more active in keeping a sober and steady eye on these volatile plants and oil rigs?
We MUST petition Congress and our local politicians, and DEMAND action. Too many lives are at risk not to.
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Zakery Daniel @conservativezak
Regulation without enforcement is like getting a prescription without ever getting it filled. So in all likelihood enforcement is what needs to happen.
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Gary @grand-vizier
In both cases the costs incurred by the companies and the people who died working will provide much more incentive and real increases in safety than any government regulations ever will.
Only fools pass laws and regulations and expect the problem to be solved.
Once the laws are passed and regulators hired, simple laziness and habit take over.
Give an example were regulators really prevented an accident or are actually held responsible for their actions or lack thereof.
Both the fertilizer plant and the oil drilling rig were heavily regulated activities.
Didn’t do much good did it?
But paying huge damages and people dying are lessons,hard learned,that will have long lasting effects.
If you get a building permit, inspectors inspect your building while it’s being built and later a defect in construction is discovered ,do you think you have any recourse to the government entity you paid all those fees to?
Ha!
Did the government have to assume any responsibility for the rig explosion or the factory that blew up?
The government is not the solution.
Make companies liable for the damages and have them carry enough insurance to make it right.
Then they will only contract with others who have great safety records and plenty of insurance as well.
The insurance companies will regulate and inspect them a whole lot better when they are at financial risk than the Government ever will with much better results all around.
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