British Petroleum lacks Corporate Morality

Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was suspending BP from bidding on any new government contracts, citing a "lack of business integrity" by the company in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.

British Petroleum a company with a history of corporate irresponsibility, is proposing to erect a massive industrial wind complex in our community .  Their project will also require a transmission system extending from Cape Vincent into Lyme where it will hook into the grid system. Consequently, the towns of Lyme and Cape Vincent are facing a crushing industrial wind development that will change our lives and those of future generations forever.

British Petroleum’s shameful environmental record coupled with their long history of corporate irresponsibility, is astounding . Historically their actions follow a pattern , when necessary, they plead guilty to an offense ,pull out their checkbook, pay a fine and move on to their next victims.

In 2007, British Petroleum agreed to pay a criminal fine of more than 60 million for violations of federal environmental regulations, in Texas and Alaska. After the Alaskan spill, British Petroleum Plead guilty to one misdemeanor of the clean water act and paid a $12 million fine for spilling 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the Alaskan tundra.
This was a result of not properly monitoring or maintaining the Alaskan pipeline.

British Petroleum has left in its wake, problems, violations, victims and disasters , including the most recent Deep-water Horizon mess.
One tragedy in particular caused by British Petroleum occurred in March of 2005, an explosion at British Petroleum's Texas City refinery.
This episode in British Petroleum’s shameful history killed 15 people and injured 170. British Petroleum plead guilty to a felony charge for failing to have adequate maintenance procedures. Almost immediately after the Texas City, refinery explosion British Petroleum began aggressively dealing with the victims giving them, confidential out -of -court settlements for their losses. However, one woman (Eva Rowe) held out pushing for a court trial [1]

Because of her persistence , an internal British Petroleum document became known ,exposing British Petroleum for the greedy Profit over People Corporation that they are.
In the aftermath of the Deep Water Horizon tragedy,  May of 2011, the Daily Beast obtained copies of this internal document.

The topic of this document

“Cost of a human Life” and “Cost-benefit analysis of three little pigs."

The two-page document, prepared by British Petroleum's risk managers in October 2002 as part of a larger risk preparedness presentation, and titled “Cost benefit analysis of three little pigs,”
British Petroleum compared employees to three little pigs. The refineries were their houses and the big bad wolf was an accident or an explosion.

“Frequency—the big bad wolf blows with a frequency of once per lifetime.”

“Consequence—if the wolf blows down the house then the piggy is gobbled.”

“Maximum justifiable spend (MJS)—a piggy considers it’s worth $1000 to save its bacon.”."

“Which type of house,” the report asks, “should the piggy build?”


It then answers its own question: a hand-written note,“optimal,” is marked next to an option that offers solid protection, but not the “blast resistant” trailer, typically all-welded steel structures, that cost 10 times as much.[2]

This document shows a total disregard for the lives that British Petroleum considers expendable for the sake of their bottom line.
It does not matter if British Petroleum is building refineries or industrial wind complexes. Our land, Our resources and Our people are expendable for their bottom line. If British Petroleum shared the consequences of living in close proximity to industrial wind turbines , they would not be proposing to stick their monster turbines in our community.

There isn't any moral DEIS, or EPA of ethics to protect us. British Petroleum has consistently demonstrated a money over morality mentality. Are we expected to forfeit our future for the sake of their bottom line?
The best way to see our future with British Petroleum to look at their past.

[1] Ladies home Journal magazine 2007 rebel with a cause ~ link not available

 Read more about the three little pigs memo from the Daily Beast
[2] link To view  Documents posted on  the Daily beast


[3] Link here to read the story about how BP Put a price on human life from the Financial Times

Link here 
  the BP documents likened its staff to the "three little pigs'' and a massive accident, such as the Texas City explosion, as the "big bad wolf'' of the children's fable. BP noted: "If the wolf blows down the house, the piggy is gobbled,'' and asked, "Which type house should the piggy build?''