06-08-10 by dugan
Can BP tell the truth about the causes of the catastrophe it caused in the Gulf of Mexico? A hearing June 17 (date corrected) in the House Energy and Commerce Committee may tell us a lot. BP CEO Tony Hayward is the prime witness, and it looks like the committee may put him under oath.
The letter to Hayward from the committee asks him to bring along any BP expert to advise him on the technical questions, and the letter makes it clear that these experts will be put under oath. It’s not quite as clear whether Hayward himself will have to swear to tell the truth. It will be telling to see who Hayward blames and how he tries to explain the utter lack of anyone in charge on the Deepwater Horizon rig–before it exploded, burned and sank, killing 11 crew members and unleashing a tide of oil that is ruining the environment and the Gulf Coast economy.
Here’s the key paragraph of the letter:
The Subcommittee anticipates that its members may have questions requiring technical knowledge of the Deepwater Horizon rig operations, well design, and safety measures and, accordingly, we ask that you be accompanied by a BP employee or official with sufficient knowledge to answer these questions under oath.