Rig Failed to Report Major Accident

New details continue to emerge on the chain of events leading to the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. On 60 Minutes Sunday, crew members reported that, facing pressure to speed up drilling operations, an accident went unreported just four weeks before the blow out--during which one of the rig’s key safety features was damaged, causing chunks of rubber to show up in drilling fluid. In the midst of cleanup efforts, attention is now turning to other potentially dangerous drilling sites, the program reported, particularly the platform Atlantis. One former employee is now filing a federal suit to have the rig shut down, explaining, “If something happens there, it will make the Deepwater Horizon look like a bubble in the water by comparison.”