“The truth may not always be heard in the spoken word…

…yet it’s always seen in people’s actions.” Those are my words, the very words I use in signing my book, BETRAYAL: Clinton, Castro & the Cuban Five (ISBN-13: 978-1440118012), a book that exposes the murder and cover-up of four U.S. residents, shot down over international waters by Cuban MiGs in 1996.

My words are also applicable to BP PLC and their handling of their “underwater oil volcano” as it’s described by Florida Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL).

In fact, Senator Nelson fears that BP PLC will not handle their responsibilities properly and try to limit their losses to a decades old $75 million dollar liability limit.

Nelson also he indicated residents in the potentially affected states should not rely on the statements made by “Big Oil” and to prepare for a legal battle.

I concur with Senator Nelson, considering developments of the past few days.

BP filed the exploration plan and environmental impact analysis I mentioned in a previous article with the federal government in February 2009, saying BP it had the capability to handle a "worst-case scenario" at the Deepwater Horizon site…with capabilities of handling a leak of 162,000 barrels per day from an uncontrolled blowout – BP’s calculations have proven to be untrue.

BP PLC has also said they will pay for the clean-up as well as damages and commercial loss due to the oil leak, but their actions Monday, May 3rd, signaled a much different approach.

FOX News reporter Jonathan Hunt reported that statements made by BP executives went so far as to try to deny that this is their accident.

BP execs claimed that while they were leasing and operating (and standing to profit from) the Deep Horizons oil rig; the rig was owned by a company called Trans Ocean; and that other equipment, including the failed blow-out preventor, was made by a different company, Cameron International.

It appears to me that BP PLC tried the old “not our fault” defense paired up with a “can’t see it from my house” attempt at disbursing the sub-surface Gulf oil by using highly toxic chemicals. Chemicals that are killing marine life while keeping the oil from reaching the Gulf shoreline in sticky, gooey globs.

Furthering their cause on Monday, BP PLC asked Gulf fishermen--who the company was employing to deploy oil booms--to sign legal waivers of indemnity.

The waiver said in part, “I hereby agree on behalf of myself, and my representatives, to hold harmless and indemnify and to release, waive and forever discharge the BP Exploration and Production Inc...from all claims and damages.” (Source J. Hunt, FOX News)

After fishermen complained BP PLC rolled out one of their spokeswomen, Ayana McIntosh-Lee; a very well educated, well spoken, cardboard cutout--specifically trained to calm rough corporate waters--who said, “We heard the concern, and we acted on it,” meaning BP PLC withdrew the requirement of indemnification from the fishermen.

McIntosh also said, “That if people have a legitimate claim and they file that, it will be honored.” BP PLC has said those claims have to be, “legitimate and objectively verifiable”, confusing words for those who work the docks and fishing fleets, as well as to those in Washington, D.C.
Corporate responsibility

BP’s primary corporate responsibility—according to what I learned many years ago in college—is to turn a profit for their shareholders. Shareholders in a stock corporation hold the keys to voting for the Board of Directors who stand to make big bonuses based on their performance.
Nothing in this business formula says the corporation has a responsibility to the safety and well-being of the general public.

Based on BP’s six-billion dollar first quarterly earnings for 2010—yes $5.6 billion with a “B” in the current economy—I see no need for BP PLC to even think about asking hard working Americans and businesses to bail them out of their sticky mess—and this includes preying on people’s sympathies by begging for volunteers.

Especially after trying to force indemnity waivers upon fishermen whom they were going to sub-contract and pay--and many whom admittedly have little or no formal education in dealing with corporate America and their privileged legal teams.

BP PLC needs to educate folks who are considering volunteering to help with mopping up their mess or oil stricken marine life and wildlife. The general public needs to be aware of the risks involved; and those who wish to help should be provided a 40-hour HAZWOPR training and certification course, appropriate HAZMAT apparel, full foot and hand protection, and respirators if the situation dictates.

Also, if people wish to be protected “down-the-road” from injuries, illnesses or even deaths caused by their slogging in BP’s oil--they need to have a formal relationship, not waivers signed—so from my perspective, it’d be best to be “employed” or sub-contracted in some fashion with BP PLC.

Anybody remember September 18, 2001?

That’s the day the Christine Todd Whitman; Administrator to the Environmental Protection Agency first released a report, in which she said, "Given the scope of the tragedy from last week, I am glad to reassure the people of New York and Washington, D.C. that their air is safe to breathe and their water is safe to drink." She also said, "The concentrations are such that they don't pose a health hazard...We're going to make sure everybody is safe."

Later, a 2003 report by the EPA's inspector general determined that such assurances were misleading, because the EPA "did not have sufficient data and analyses" to justify the assertions when they were made—and many of our 9/11 First Responders are sick, and many others have already died—based on the spoken word of the EPA.

BP’s statements and actions have not added up, and at this point I, as does Senator Nelson, question BP and “Big Oil”—so far there’s little “truth” in their “actions”.

Let us pray, that BP's coffer dam, “the big box" works!

Matt Lawrence is owner of Paratus International LLC, a company dedicated to preparedness training and planning in the private and public sector. He’s also author of “What To Do til the Cavalry Comes: A Family Guide to Preparedness in 21st Century America”. He can be reached via his website at www.mattlawrencebooks.com