1 Boring Old Man

Reports at BP over years find history of problems
Washington Post
By Abrahm Lustgarten and Ryan Knutson
June 8, 2010

Years of Internal BP Probes Warned That Neglect Could Lead to Accidents
ProPublica
by Abrahm Lustgarten and Ryan Knutson
June 7, 2010

For years, the subsidiary that refined and stored crude oil was allowed to inspect its own facilities for compliance with emission laws under the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the agency that regulates air quality in Los Angeles. In 2002, inspectors with the management district thought BP’s inspection results looked too good to be true. Between 1999 and 2002, BP’s Carson Refinery had nearly perfect compliance, reporting no tank problems and making virtually no repairs. The district suspected that BP was falsifying its inspection reports and fabricating its compliance.

According to Joseph Panasiti, a lawyer for the management district, the agency had to get a search warrant to conduct inspections required by state law. When the regulators finally got in, they found equipment in a disturbing state of disrepair. According to a lawsuit the management district later filed against BP, inspectors discovered that some tanker seals had extensive tears, tank roofs had pervasive leaks and there were enough major defects to lead to thousands of violations. "They had been sending us reports that showed 99 percent compliance, and we found about 80 percent noncompliance," Panasiti said.

The district sued BP for $319 million. After lengthy litigation, the firm agreed to pay more than $100 million without admitting guilt. Colin Reid, the plant’s operations manager, was later promoted to a vice president position in the United Kingdom. He recently left BP and did not respond to requests for comment.