Probe of Deepwater Horizon Blast Lands In Federal Court
U.S. Chemical Safety Board against Transocean A dispute over the authority of U.S. accident investigators heads to federal court here Wednesday, in a case pitting the U.S. Chemical Safety Board against Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.The House Energy and Commerce Committee asked the board, which investigates industrial accidents, to investigate the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon two years ago that killed 11 workers and unleashed a massive offshore oil spill.But Transocean says the agency has no powers offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has been ignoring its subpoenas. Last October, the Justice Department filed suit against the company on behalf of the board. Arguments in the case will be heard Wednesday afternoon.If the courts affirm the agency's jurisdiction, the board is likely to become more involved in offshore oil and gas installations. The board, which doesn't issue regulations, now conducts investigations onshore. Offshore operations are regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency.The chemical board says it has a role to play in the aftermath of Deepwater Horizon, because it is focusing on the explosion aboard the rig, not the subsequent spill or its environmental impact. The ...
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