BP Worker Fired Over Cleanup Data

The outrageous behavior continues, but only a few are listening: It's been almost 2 years since the BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and while I am sure you've seen their slick ads touting their cleanup efforts and how it is perfectly safe to eat Gulf seafood (I see them at work but don't have to listen  - no sound on the TVs) all is not what BP says it is.

I'm wondering if anyone remembers what happened to the Gulf beginning in April 2010 and the destruction caused to the wildlife, marshes, and people by the greed, cover-up, and lies of the oil giant. Or, maybe no one cares anymore. From Courthouse News Service, January 24, 2012:

NEW ORLEANS (CN) - A leader in BP's oil spill cleanup claims the company fired him for refusing to change data so that BP could claim the cleanup phase was over and it could begin restoration, which a BP vice president told him "would have an upward impact on BP stock prices."
     August Walter sued BP America in Federal Court.
     "Walter began his employment with BP under its Gulf Coast Restoration Organization ('GCRO') with the position of State Planning Lead for the purpose of developing a descriptive plan to accomplish the cleaning of oil caused by the BP oil spill in April 2010," according to the complaint.
     He claims BP fired him on Nov. 9, 2011, the day the company announced that it had cleaned up the Gulf Coast and was moving into the "restoration" phase of cleanup.
     Walter says BP's cleanup plans had to be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard's Federal On-Scene Coordinator, and comply with federal and state environmental laws and regulations. He says BP's Shoreline Treatment Recommendations (STRs) also had to comply with the laws and be approved by the Coast Guard coordinator.
     However, Walter says: "BP refused to follow the STRs and Walter opposed BP's refusal to comply. Ultimately BP demanded that Walter misrepresent clean-up data to get approval from the unified command to Legacy Coast Guard management."
     Walter says the misrepresented data was meant to mislead Coast Guard officials into believing that the cleanup in Mississippi was nearly complete.
     "Walter opposed this action and advised BP management and Unified Command of the problem. Walter was terminated shortly thereafter for a pretextual reason," according to the complaint.
     BP's cleanup requires Coast Guard approval because BP shares responsibility for the cleanup with the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard holds 51 percent responsibility for the cleanup, BP 49 percent, according to the complaint.

Read that last sentence again.  Yes, this means that 51% of the responsibility falls to the Coast Guard - meaning we, the American taxpayer.  Think about that.

Now go and read the rest of the complaint HERE.

And so it goes.
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