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DAILY REPORT ! FOR EXECUTIVES REPORT Reproduced with permission from Daily Report for Executives, DER 6-6-10, 06/06/2010. Copyright 姝 2010 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com
Environment
Flow Rate From Gulf Oil Spill Raised; Salazar Names New Head of Minerals Agency he estimated volume of oil flowing from BP Plc’s well in the Gulf of Mexico is now estimated to be between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day, more than previously estimated, federal officials announced June 15. The ‘‘improved estimate’’ is a result of updated data and scientific assessment obtained over the weekend of June 12-13, the departments of Energy and Interior jointly announced. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the new estimate ‘‘represents a significant step forward in our effort to put a number on the oil that is escaping from BP’s well.’’ A good estimate of oil flow volume is critical ‘‘for purposes of response and recovery, and for the final investigation of the failure of the blowout preventer and the resulting spill,’’ said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. ‘‘As the scientific team gets new data and conducts new analysis,’’ the estimate will continue to be refined, he said. On June 10, Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey had estimated that the flow of oil ranged from 12,600 barrels to a little over 40,000 barrels a day during the period prior to BP’s cutting the well riser pipe to install a containment device on the leaking well.
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Bromwich Called ‘Ideal Choice.’ Salazar also announced June 15 the appointment of Michael Bromwich to head the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service, which oversees offshore oil drilling.
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‘‘Michael Bromwich has vast experience improving the way organizations work, both within the government and in the private sector,’’ said Salazar. ‘‘He is an ideal choice to change how the agency does business, to lead the reforms that will raise the bar for offshore oil and gas operations, and to help our nation transition to a clean energy future,⬙ Salazar added. One of the Obama administration’s first responses to the BP oil spill was a decision to restructure the Minerals Management Service, the agency charged with oversight of the offshore oil and gas industries. On the heels of that decision, five weeks into the BP oil spill, came the resignation May 27 of then-MMS Director Elizabeth Birnbaum (102 DER A-34, 5/28/10).
Former Inspector General. Bromwich served as inspector general for the Department of Justice from 1994 to 1999, where he oversaw numerous high-profile investigations, including misconduct in the FBI laboratory, according to the Interior Department. He has also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 1983 to 1987 and as associate counsel in the Office of the Independent Counsel during the Iran-Contra investigation from 1987 to 1989. As a partner with the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson since 1999, Bromwich has specialized in conducting internal investigations for private companies and other organizations. He is a 1976 Harvard graduate, earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, and holds a masters degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. BY JANICE VALVERDE
ISSN 0148-8155