Senate GOP Moving To Immunize Oil Companies From Lawsuits After They Screw Up

Wed, 05/18/2011 - 16:50 EDT - Mathew Yglesias

Lefty green stalinist types think we need more regulation of oil companies to prevent them from destroying the Gulf of Mexico with their drilling. But that’s nuts. Everyone knows America’s the most lawsuit happy country in the world. Any oil company is going to invest plenty of money in safety procedures to avoid the massive damages they’re sure to be hit with in the event of a big spill. Right? Right? Well, Kate Sheppard reports that Senate Republicans are working to eliminate that safeguard. Welcome to the “Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011″:
The measure would deem the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, located in New Orleans, the “exclusive venue” for all civil suits dealing with energy projects in the Gulf. That’s a problem because the court is stocked with judges who have financial holdings or other ties to the oil and gas industry. That means lawsuits would be relegated to a particularly sympathetic court, no matter what jurisdiction the company is based in or where the incident that prompted the suit occurred.
I feel protected and safe already.

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Senate GOP Moving To Immunize Oil Companies From Lawsuits After They Screw Up

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