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BP has been buying scientists throughout the Gulf Coast region in an effort to keep their findings on the affects of the oil spill quiet. Scientists at Louisiana State University, Alabama University, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Southern Alabama, and other independent scientists, have all been approached by BP with a contract for silence.
The Contract
In exchange for $250 per hour and a signing bonus, scientists must agree to keep their findings on the oil spill out of public view. Additionally, research would only be permitted on specific projects, approved in advance by BP. The scientists who agree, are also prohibited from publishing their research, sharing it with other scientists or speaking about the data that they collect for at least the next three years, according to Think progress.
George Crozier, head of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab said, "It made me feel like they were more interested in making sure we couldn't testify against them...”
Robert Wiygul, an Ocean Springs lawyer told the Press-Register that the BP contract was "exceptionally one-sided," adding, "This is not an agreement to do research for BP. This is an agreement to join BP's legal team,” and “to withhold data even in the face of a court order.”
The most disturbing aspect of BP’s quest to control scientific evidence is in the timing. This is not an endeavor that began recently. BP wanted to cover their tracks immediately after the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, 2010.
Texas A&M University professor Norm Guinasso said BP tried to hire him as “part of the their legal defense” just days after the spill began. Guinasso turned BP down, claiming their contract was too restrictive and “unethical.”
From the beginning, BP has done everything they can to protect their own interests. They tried to hide the oil with an overload of chemical dispersants and underestimates on spill rate, and have restricted media access to the worst hit spill areas. There have also been accounts of dead marine animal carcasses being removed in the middle of the night so no one would see how bad the death toll really was. Now we can see at least one reason for the drought of publicly available scientific data.
It becomes more apparent every day that the BP oil spill has never been about taking responsibility for an environmental catastrophe - it has always been about avoiding it.
Comments
This corruption is the norm if you have the money to pull it off.
They did the same thing to cover up the Rezko / Obama / Wright, hospitals / houses corruption leading up to the election.
You did cover that, right?
I just don't know about this "coverup" thing. I am beginning to think that people are making up stuff just for their own gain.
I haven't seen any "blackout" of reporting in the media. Where is there evidence of such a blackout? Only questionable sites like "Examiner" and "Helium" are saying this stuff. Nowehere else is there any mention of it!
They are completely covering things up, literally, on the beaches they bring in loads of sand and lay it on the beach. Many pictures and video are out there. This is why they use Corexit, to hide the oil, so they can pay out less, claiming there is not as much damage. People are sick from this chemical. They cover up their mess as an illusion making it seem not as bad as it really is. They have ruined the gulf, the lives of countless americans living in the gulf states on the beaches, and have savagely and irresponsibly killed off all of the ocean life.
Ken you are an idiot. Have you ever heard of CNN? Blocked photos's blocked cameras,
You must work for BP.
I work against BP on one of their Superfund sites and you basically have to babysit this company and US government regulators to make sure people's safety concerns are met. It is simply ridiculous.
Great article. The evidence of a blackout exists when you are told to leave beaches when you have a camera in hand. When you try to talk to Subcontractors and they won't..or can't. If you consider controlling information a blackout then that's whats happening. If you control enough of it, then people lose interest. And the people that get hurt is contained to the immediate residents. Its the perfect PR.
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