Causal Factors of BP Oil Spill of 2010

On 20 th April 2010, there occurred a blowout of Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig
that was operated by the oil giant, BP. The blowout resulted in close to 4.9 million barrels of
oil being discharged in the Gulf of Mexico (Sherman, Bosma & Underwood, 2019). The
consequences were devastating. 11 people lost their lives. Many others sustained serious
injuries. Apart from human devastation, there was also extensive damage to marine life, the
surrounding environment, and tourism and fishing industries (Shafique, 2017). Since its
occurrence, various investigations have sort to determine factors that led to what remains the
largest offshore oil spill in North American waters. This paper examines these factors as
presented in Oil Spill Causation and the Deepwater Horizon Spill by Kurtz.

Summary of Oil Spill Causation and the Deepwater Horizon Spill by Kursk
Oil Spill Causation and the Deepwater Horizon Spill by Kurtz argues that there was
no single factor that led to the oil spill. Rather, the spill had many interrelated causes. The
multiple factors that the author examines are the same ones that caused some of the biggest
near-shore oil spills in the past. These causal factors include policy imperfections, poor
interorganizational structure, lack of integrity, and weak regulatory regime.
In regard to policy imperfections, the author holds that policy mandates that require
public-private partnerships in preventing spill prevention have not worked well. The inability
of this partnership to work well can be attributed to laxity of public agencies in the
partnership and the fact that for-profit private entities often pursue their profit-seeking self-
interests usually at the expense of public safety (Kurtz, 2013). The relatively low fine
amounts for violations of major policy requirements, such as those contained in the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 also do not act as a strong deterrent against unsafe actions of oil
companies and their partner organizations.

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Apart from policy imperfections, the author also considers weak regulatory regime as
another major cause of the oil spill. Since the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, the federal
government has taken the lead role in guaranteeing adherence to best safety practices in order
to prevent oil spillage. However, the federal government has not played this role well. The
federal agency that plays this role, the U.S Minerals Management Service (MMS), has been
found to engage in administration improprieties, such as shoddy safety enforcement,
accepting gifts from representatives of oil companies, and inadequate or poor record keeping
(Kurtz, 2013).
As for lack of integrity, the author argues that many oil companies have developed a
culture of only acting under the prodding of oversight agencies. In the absence of such
prodding, they take short cuts or completely ignore best safety practices (Kurtz, 2013). In
addition to lack of integrity, the author also examines interorganizational structure as a cause
of the spill. Oil companies usually work with multiple other organizations in oil drilling,
transportation and storage. Without proper communication among these organizations, it is
hard to adopt a unified approach to adherence to best safety practices.

Role of Policies and Legalities in the BP Oil Spill Disaster

Various policies and legalities contributed to the BP oil spill disaster. In particular, the
role of the lead federal government agency tasked with ensuring compliance of best safety
practices, MMS, came under scrutiny. Legally, the agency plays two roles. First, it is an
industry regulator. In this role, MMS is in charge of ensuring that oil companies adhere to
best safety practices in offshore drilling (Kurtz, 2013). Second, the agency is tasked with
collecting oil royalties from oil companies on behalf of the federal government (Kurtz, 2013).
This dual role of the agency creates a major problem. On the one hand, if the agency
aggressively pursues its role of ensuring compliance with best safety practices, oil companies

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will spend a lot of money on safety measures and will remain with less money to pay
royalties to the government. On the other hand, if the agency seeks to maximize oil royalties
that it collects for the federal government, it will have to be lax in enforcing best safety
practices in the industry. The dual mandate of MMS created by the law, therefore, made it
ineffective in enforcing safety standards that would have prevented the spill from occurring.
Role of OPA 90 in Ensuring the Industry’s Adherence to Best Safety Practices
Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was passed in 1990 following the catastrophic
Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. OPA 90 contained more aggressive provisions for preventing
and mitigating the threat of oil spillage. Among the contents of the Act were requirements for
periodic safety inspections of oil drills and regular safety training. Failure to adhere to these
and other recommendations in the Act would attract a fine of between $2,000-$2,500, a year
of imprisonment, or both (Kurtz, 2013). Since it was passed in 1990, the consensus among
experts in the industry is that the Act has been effective in ensuring industry’s adherence to
best safety practices (Kurtz, 2013). This explains why after the 2010 BP oil spill, calls for
repeal of the Act only focused on minor areas, such as the fines charged on those who violate
its requirements.

How Human Factors Can be Mitigated in Disasters

Human factors such as lack of integrity plays a role in the occurrence of disasters. To
address such human factors, it is important for organizations to foster a culture of integrity
where employees do the right thing even when no one is watching them. Additionally,
responsibility for mistakes resulting from lack adherence to safety standards should be
handled should be not just organizational but also personal.
Conclusion

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The BP oil spill of 2010 led to renewed focus on safety of offshore drilling. Various
factors were identified as having caused the disaster to occur. They include poor oversight,
lack of integrity, and policy weaknesses. Addressing these factors will go a long way in
ensuring that such disasters do not occur in future.

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References

Kurtz, R. S. (2013). Oil spill causation and the deepwater horizon spill. Review of Policy
Research, 30(4), 366-380.
Shafique, A. (2017). An analysis of the causes of Gulf of Mexico oil spill (2010) and its
impacts on marine life
Sherman, E. F., Bosma, S., & Underwood, J. (2019). Specific oil spill incidents. In Managing
the Risk of Offshore Oil and Gas Accidents. Edward Elgar Publishing.