The N&R supports Rep. Pricey Harrison’s bill to lift the $75 liability cap on oil spills. As the editorial ponders environmental disasters, the recent tank fire at Greensboro’s Colonial Pipeline comes up:
In fact, the tank farm’s operators have been good and conscientious corporate citizens, and, based on the response to this week’s fire, there’s little reason not to expect the same going forward. It pays to be prepared.
Still, Harrison said Tuesday that the bill’s sponsors were considering modifying its language to restrict the unlimited damages only to offshore spills to soothe fears that removing the cap elsewhere might discourage some companies from locating in the state — and to enhance the bill’s chances of passing.
But frankly, any operation that’s so unsure of its safety protocols as to fear it might inflict damages of more than $75 million we’re probably better off without.
Interesting that I saw Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Fox last night criticizing the president’s plan to establish an escrow account to make sure BP pays up. Barbour not only believed that an escrow account would inhibit BP’s ability to pay, but would also inhibit further offshore drilling, which is a tool of economic development in the Gulf.
The fire at Colonial Pipeline was indeed handled well, but is it not fair to say that a greater disaster is a possibility? With that in mind, you have to note the politics behind Rep. Harrison’s bill. Jon Hardister— Harrison’s opponent in the House 57 race —-addresses the issue over at his blog, suggesting that the cap simply be raised instead of eliminated.
The House 57 race is going to be very interesting. Citizens might be tired of Pricey’s enviro-politics.
Update Ed Cone has some questions for Jon Hardister.
