Never Learning The Lessons

Even though the Alaskan spill was from an Exxon Ship since that, and many other spills, the now huge oil companies have not invested in technology and crews to take care of any possible accidents nor in the needed cleanup technology for devastating accidents. If we in the construction industry cut common sense corners in building anything, especially as lessons came from past engineering mistakes or just better understanding, there'd be buildings and more collapsing all over the place or when mother nature or mother earth hits with force more deaths!

Alaska's present, after 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, might be Gulf Coast's future

June 26, 2010 On a chilly, drizzly recent June afternoon in Cordova, Alaska, the town's fishers gathered for an important announcement.

An official from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game emerged with a flier and tacked it to a bulletin board. The news was good: sockeye salmon were plentiful enough to be harvested for a 12-hour period.

Soon, boats were chugging toward the Copper River delta against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. By the next morning, Cordova Harbor was nearly empty. At an evening softball game, a gaggle of small boys chased every foul ball but few parents were present: many were out on the water.

Life in this town of 2,200 centers around fishing, as it has for generations. During salmon season, Cordova operates in its own unique rhythm, set by the comings and goings of the crews who spend days or weeks at a time on their boats, and by the perpetual daylight of the Alaskan summer. Main Street, with its family-owned bookstore, family-owned drugstore and century-old hotel, is like a far-northern version of Mayberry.

The money Platt got from Exxon, which he described as "a fraction of the actual losses," all went to pay off his now-worthless herring permit.

"I'm still reeling. I've got three boys who want to go to college next year and I can't help them," said Platt, who still fishes for salmon. "We haven't had health insurance in I don't know how long." Continued

Yesterday i was asked if it's true what they've read or heard "Is the Government sitting on plenty, not using, of booms then what are being used?", I sat here just looking at the stupidity then realized this has to be either coming from some whacked out conservative site that he read or whatever or another of the plenty of totally off the wall comments made by a host of people of all stripes showing how educated this country now is, no common sense, no critical thought and to damn lazy to just click for real information! The government doesn't and shouldn't 'store' more then enough of these types of needs, they would have some for Coast Guard use and those are being used, this is what the Corporate World should have in order to do business especially in this case, not only booms but updated technologies, ships and crews on stand by while doing other work specifically trained in prevention and cleanup and much more. Corporations are the guilty, as are their investors, not the Government!

We send our own into wag the dogs tail wars of choice for the natural resources we don't have, we allow corporations to do whatever they please, now, with little or no regulations, then those especially who scream against the government, if not in the power seats, want the government to be held responsible, while if in those seats themselves readily find excuses and strange reasonings for what is not being done under their leadership.