NOLA group files suit against feds

The New Orleans-based non-profit Healthy Gulf filed a lawsuit Sept. 26 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and their directors, for allowing offshore drillers to waive safety protocols put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Among factors found in an investigation into the explosion was the failure of a piece of equipment called a blowout preventer, the last line of defense against an oil spill. New regulations put into place in August 2016 stipulated how often and how long blowout preventers should be tested to ensure that they are fully functional. The lawsuit alleges that both DoI and BSEE granted offshore drillers "alternate compliance" and "departures" from the new rules hundreds of times, effectively waiving some crucial safeguards against blowouts. Weakening the blowout preventer systems is a "slap in the face" to Gulf of Mexico workers, coastal residents and businesses, said Cynthia Sarthou, director of Healthy Gulf. DoI released a statement contending that the lawsuit "grossly misrepresents the facts and issues false accusations." DoI says BSEE authorizes alternate procedures or equipment only when doing so provides a level of safety and environmental protection that equals or surpasses current requirements. (Source: NOLA.com 09/28/19) https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_0a8f2f64-e070-11e9-9795-2f80e45ffc1d.html