Who Can You Trust? Oil-Spill Edition, Vol. 14

“Who Can You Trust?” is an ongoing look at some of the main players in the gulf oil-spill disaster. We analyze the media appearances and public statements of those covering, controlling, and combating the spill to determine who’s spinning for personal advantage, who’s playing to the crowd, and who (or what) we can truly count on.

Robert Cavnar
Oil-industry insider

Cavnar spent more than 30 years working in the oil industry and now runs a Web site called the Daily Hurricane, a Houston-area news forum. His columns on the spill, many of which also appear on the Huffington Post, explain the engineering and mechanics of the rig and riser. It’s a little technical, but worth slogging through: he tries to explain the jargon as best he can, and by not shying away from the technical talk, he’s able to engage some of BP’s more technical PR efforts, like the video above, on their own terms. Cavnar, who is in favor of the ban on deepwater drilling, has said the Deepwater Horizon spill made him ashamed of his industry, but it's also clear that he loves the work and knows his stuff. 

Pay attention: to the order of operations and definitions he gives in his posts. They can be tedious, but they’re crucial to understanding the mechanics of the spill.

BP
Corporate citizen

Yesterday, the guide downgraded BP's reliability as a corporate cash cow, noting that both BP stock and BP business owners were feeling the pinch. Today, it's being reported that BP will help ease the financial straits of the latter group. The oil company will provide these owners with cash, reduce credit-card fees, and sponsor national advertising promoting the stations.
 
BP also reimbursed the government—on time—for the spill's cleanup. Earlier this month, the feds sent BP a $69 million bill for the costs so far, complete with a July 1 deadline. Now the AP is reporting that BP has paid that bill as well as a second bill, writing a check for about $71 million.

Pay attention: to the individual claims payments for small businesses and workers who have lost income due to the spill. BP has been criticized for not acting in a timely or transparent matter. Will the company's responsible streak last?

Bill Clinton
Ex-president

At the Global Forum, an event sponsored by Fortune, CNN, and Time, Clinton suggested that massive explosives were the only way for the government to take control of the spilll. “Unless we send the Navy down deep to blow up the well and cover the leak with piles and piles and piles of rock and debris, which may become necessary—you don't have to use a nuclear weapon, by the way; I've seen all that stuff, just blow it up—unless we're going to do that, we are dependent on the technical expertise of these people from BP,” he said. He’s both right and wrong: the government relies on BP for the engineering and funds to fight the spill, and that won't change until the thing is shut down. But whether you can blow up the well and be successful is still questionable. Failure could result in many more leaks and untold damage to the undersea ecology and overall geology of the region. Clinton acknowledged that the measure would be a last-ditch effort, but it seems irresponsible to bring up such a dangerous and farfetched idea at this point in the game. It’s the soundbite that launched a thousand headlines, and a seasoned pol like Clinton should know better.

Pay attention: to who else picks up on this "solution."

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement
Agency formerly known as MMS

The BOEMRE runs the only facility where "scientists and emergency responders can run full-scale oil spill response tests and research," according to Mother Jones, which also notes that the facility is now closed due to ... a leak. Because the magnitude and depth of this spill is unprecedented, as are the technological solutions being proposed to stop it, having a testing area is crucial. But thanks to multiple leaks in the testing wave pool, the facility is out of commission until mid-July. Watchdog groups also say the agency isn't doing enough to promote transparency in its dealings with oil companies. 

Pay attention: to new BOEMRE head Michael Bromwich. Now that he's getting settled into the job, what will change?

Beach Weddings
Summer celebrations
Couples who planned to tie the knot on the white shores of Pensacola Beach are now seeking less oily venues so that they won't have to drag their designer duds through tar balls and oil mats. Said one bride-to-be, "I don't want dead animals on the beach in my wedding pictures."

Pay attention: to this plucky couple, who didn't want to deny their wedding vendors the much-needed income, especially since the beaches aren't always tarnished. Depending on the tides and currents, the sand and shores can be clean.