Hurricanes Spawn Oil Industry Scams

by John Passacantando

It happens all too often in the aftermath of a major disaster: The con artists swoop like vultures into a disaster zone to peck away at the victims and to profit from a vulnerable system. We've seen it so many times before, from people pocketing money meant for charity to heartless home repair companies gouging victims. Sadly, this tragic trend continues with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

To date, the American Red Cross and the Justice Department are investigating some 500 fraud cases. On their list: the usual suspects of petty pickpockets and fraudulent insurance claims. But there is one glaring omission -- the oil and gas industry. That industry is callously trying to use the storms as an excuse for relaxing vital environmental protections and to open up our vulnerable coastlines to drilling. But instead of being held accountable for conning the public -- the industry has found an accomplice in our government.

Just days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf region, and while our nation was still in shock from the images of human suffering, more than 100 companies were already chasing the ambulance. These companies sent a letter to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) and other Republican leaders, asking Congress to open up coastal areas in other parts of the country for offshore oil and gas exploration. This while New Orleans residents were still soaking in a toxic stew from the dangerous pollution of busted oil tanks. The companies themselves were reporting rigs missing, damaged or overturned from Hurricanes. But instead of taking action to prevent other parts of the country from similar catastrophes, Congress was quick to join the industry in its oily hoax.

For the average person, it is nearly impossible to keep up with all of the congressional con jobs and the scoundrels trying to push them through.

Take the so-called "Katrina Relief" bill for example. It squeaked through the House by two votes. If approved by the Senate the bill will allow the Environmental Protection Agency to ignore environmental laws at its discretion. And although Katrina showed U.S. just how dangerous our dependency on fossil fuels has become, the bill also throws additional hurdles into the process of approving offshore wind energy projects. The chorus of "Shame, shame, shame" yelled by those who saw through this ploy, was small comfort in light of the huge implications of this maneuver.

As if things could not get worse, Representative Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Senator James Inhofe (R- Oklahoma) have become partners in crime. (Barton is already in bed with big oil, receiving $224,398 from the oil and gas industry). Their respective bills would among other things: gut the Clean Air Act. This would also increase smog levels and endanger some 150 million Americans, and allow the President to designate pristine areas, such as Wilderness Study Areas and National Forest roadless areas, as sites for refineries without any public input.

Additionally, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California) and Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) are desperately trying to use the Hurricane as a pawn for opening up our national treasure, the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling.

This lawlessness by the oil industry and politicians who are supposed to protect our rights and our interests has spun out of control. These large corporations that are raiding our wallets through high gas prices and are already pulling in record profits and working to increase our dependence on oil. That pollutes the air, makes water undrinkable, and increases global warming which scientists say ironically is fueling stronger hurricanes.

Elected officials of this country are supposed to lead by the good will of the American people, not the profit and greed of the oil industry. It is time for our government to protect its citizens by taking emergency measures to invest in clean energy sources such as solar and wind power. These are safe affordable sources of energy that can be tapped today to power homes and businesses and save U.S. from the oil slick legacy of this season's devastating storms.

Right now our government is instead an accomplice in the oil industry's scheme to scam the American public. That, to say the least, is a "Shame, shame, shame!"