The deepwater oil well gushing out of control off the coast of Louisiana is a political, economic and environmental disaster.
Even as efforts to staunch the flow are in high gear, there is talk about scaling back national plans for offshore drilling. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger already has declared his opposition to a plan for off-shore drilling based on ominous television reports. Those who propose such policy changes should wait until a full assessment of the accident can be made.
It is a very tough thing to do, as oil seeps into Louisiana’s environmentally sensitive estuaries and wetlands. There is an understandable and natural reaction to want to take drastic steps, such as stopping all offshore drilling. But exactly what went wrong and how it could have been prevented need to be known first.
The environmental, economic and political effects of this disaster may not be know immediately, but it’s likely they will be lasting.
First, BP must stop oil from gushing out of the damaged well.
Every indication is that officials from the federal government and the oil industry are attacking the problem with every tool available. BP is trying to activate a blowout preventer that can cut off the flow of oil. And it is working to put oil containment boxes over leaks.
BP will be on the hook financially for the damage from the oil spill, and has every motivation to stop the flow as quickly as possible.
It looks as though the damage is going to be serious. Those who harvest the gulf for fish, shrimp and oysters will have their livelihoods affected by the spill. The ripple effects will wash over seafood dealers, restaurant owners and tourism.
It’s a tough hit to take for a region that only now is getting back on its feet after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. If the spill is not contained soon, it could befoul beaches and impact fisheries in many coastal states in the region.
That would be terrible on its own, but would also encourage the political backlash that already has begun. Politicians in Florida are beginning to talk about imposing an offshore drilling moratorium.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, has asked the president to rescind plans for expanded offshore drilling. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the Senate as an independent, said such drilling must be tabled.
Other federal lawmakers are saying they will pull their support for an important energy and climate change bill if offshore drilling is included in the measure.
As Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently said, major oil spills are very rare, especially when you consider there are 30,000 wells in the Gulf of Mexico. And oil from those offshore rigs is economically important, accounting for 30 percent of this country’s domestic oil production.
President Obama has ordered Salazar to review the oil spill and in 30 days report back with recommendations on how to prevent similar accidents in the future. It will be one of many reviews that will be done.
Assuredly, there will be lessons to be learned from this disaster. We hope policy makers and our representatives in Congress will take the time to fully digest them before reacting.
