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204 Comments
- Yankees368, on 07/19/2009, -1/+191$1 Billion, huh? Just another days profit.
- 2Pharcyded, on 07/19/2009, -14/+165id like to point out for the above comment that while cheney is a lying prick, not everything involves him. it's not like the exxon company followed cheney's orders and plugged up these wells. so to include him in a summary about exxon and their lies is unnecessary. lots and lots of companies and politicians say one thing and do another.
anyway i thought this was the nugget of this article:
ExxonMobil spokeswoman Margaret Ross stated in a Bloomberg article, “The area in which the wells are located has a water table very close to the surface. It was critical that Exxon protect the groundwater by plugging the wells solidly and thoroughly.”
i can see a commercial now.. exxon. protecting local water tables everywhere. because we care. [cue smiling children] - footbag01, on 07/19/2009, -1/+116Make them pay for the Valdez while you're at it.
- Rotzooi, on 07/19/2009, -46/+160Summary explaining the sabotage:
Exxon was the most prominent member of Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force, designed to help the private sector, and promote dependable, affordable, and environmentally sound production and distribution of oil and other energy sources.
However, as with everything touched by Cheney, it did the exact opposite of what its PR department said it did.
When Exxon's relationship with a land owner turned sour in the 1990s, Exxon-Mobil terminated the lease and plugged the wells up in such a way that no one else could use them..
As per state rules, Exxon filed paperwork outlining its well-plugging procedures and filed sworn affidavits as to the final condition of the wells. The land owners soon learned those reports were fraudulent; when a new producer, Emerald Oil, attempted to reopen the wells, they found the old Exxon-Mobil wells hadn’t been plugged but sabotaged — filled with junk, cut well casings, contaminated oil tank sludge and even explosives. - twiztidsinz, on 07/19/2009, -9/+87I don't care who you are or who you represent... $1 billion -WILL- hurt.
That would be able to pay the $40,000 salary of 25,000 employees.
(Or 2 AIG Executive bonus'!!! HA! ..oh wait.. that's sad) - drifter, on 07/19/2009, -5/+73They pay more than this in taxes, this really won't hurt them. A fine is suppose to hurt you a little and make you think twice about doing it again.
- jpl7986, on 07/19/2009, -7/+70corporate scum.
- JeSTeRSeVeN, on 07/19/2009, -1/+56Exactly what I was I was thinking. That's chump change for the company that BROKE RECORDS for the most profits by a corporation, ever.
- GorfTron, on 07/19/2009, -4/+55They pay taxes?
- inactive, on 07/19/2009, -1/+51It won't hurt a bit when your cranking in 300 billion in profits.
- inactive, on 07/19/2009, -1/+42$1 billion is nothing to them. The Ceo probably spent more than that last night on food and infrared Mexican shower porns.
- ZenMojo, on 07/19/2009, -0/+36We can't. Chief Justice Roberts decided it was "unconscionable" to force them to clean up their own *****.
- oxys, on 07/19/2009, -1/+32Exxon, a large corporate entity in the oil business, has engaged in frowned upon behavior? This is impossible, and all lies.
- DirtyVicar, on 07/19/2009, -4/+32The key word here is "ExxonMobil COULD be fined $10,000 per oil well per day". We all know that the Texas oil industry is well-entrenched in state politics, and since Texas economics is basically ruled by whoever wins the biggest dick contests and puts their key ball players into office, this will just be finagled into some symbolic $50 million fine to pacify the complainers.
Just to put it into perspective, Exxon posted $40 billion profit in 2008, so in either case we are indeed talking about pocket change. - Moralogic, on 07/19/2009, -6/+32Some news you only get from Digg.
- deweyhewson, on 07/19/2009, -3/+28Redundant.
- lolwutpear, on 07/19/2009, -0/+238 days of net income
or a little under 21 hours of revenue - FredFredrickson, on 07/19/2009, -0/+22Sure, Cheney probably wasn't directly involved in this - but there's no denying that just about everything he touches turns to *****. He's like the anti-Midas.
- paross2, on 07/19/2009, -6/+28That would be "made up" news, yes?
I think Cheney is the devil, but I don't want my news flavored democrat or republican... I just want the facts. - AirNike, on 07/19/2009, -2/+24I rather use my own urine to run my car before supporting exxon.
- EddiePotato, on 07/19/2009, -0/+21This is true for all fines levied on people in the US. If law enforcement were really interested in using fines as a deterrent, it would fine people a percentage of income based on their tax forms, rather than a flat amount. As it stands, fines disproportionately hurt working class and poor people, and essentially comprise a money making racket for government goons.
- lougoose, on 07/19/2009, -2/+22How do they keep getting worse?!
- eanbowman, on 07/19/2009, -0/+20I'd rather Exxon be accountable and a few whiners pay more for their SUV-food than live in a society which treats certain people as above the law.
- jpop, on 07/19/2009, -15/+35Cheney wasn't mentioned in the article at all you know...
- Avaseal, on 07/20/2009, -0/+20Dugg for porn i've never heard of
- icndvl, on 07/19/2009, -0/+19When an individual commits an act of destruction they go to pound me in the ass prison.
When an Exxon board member orders destruction, the Exxon stock holders pay a very small fine...
Sounds fair to me... - iPwnN00bs, on 07/19/2009, -0/+19I wish.
- thegrantman, on 07/19/2009, -0/+19You're really pissed.
- Bodhinature, on 07/19/2009, -0/+18Yes. Environmental reasons. We plugged these holes because we care about the environment and then lied about it. If the reason they did this even remotely approached approached environmental concern we would never hear the end of it. They would shout it from the rooftops and buy giant robotic back patters for themselves.
- paross2, on 07/19/2009, -3/+21Yah, so gas will go from $2.30/gal to $3.30/gal for the next 6 weeks, then Exxon-Mobil will end up making a billion and paying that fine. Conveniently they'll cite the need for maintenance of pipelines and drilling platforms, a spike in the cost of additives, fictional intelligence about upcoming tension in the middle east, or some butterfly that flapped it's wings in sub-Saharan Africa.
I really hope there is an extra hot part of hell for the fat cats from these oil companies. - jpl7986, on 07/19/2009, -0/+17can't argue that.
- cowtown, on 07/19/2009, -1/+18An odd historical factoid has no bearing on the merits of a state's regulatory regime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Railroad_Commis ... - inactive, on 07/19/2009, -9/+25Don't mess with Texas!
It's not nice to pick on retards. - deweyhewson, on 07/19/2009, -3/+19Man, Americans really are selfish! This company breaks the law rather egregiously and all you care about is your price at the pump?
(Said in voice of snooty restaurateur): I weep for the future. - Gonthim, on 07/19/2009, -0/+15You missed the 'per day' part.
"Under Texas state rules, ExxonMobil could be fined as much as $10,000 per sabotaged oil well per day, or some $1 billion in all." - inactive, on 07/19/2009, -0/+14Wow that must hurt. They are worth over 460 billion and they earned 40 billion in profits alone in 2007. I bet they learned their lesson.
- jaxcs, on 07/19/2009, -3/+16Since their profits for a single quarter is 20x the value of this fine, it won't hurt anything them at all.
- arkaycee, on 07/19/2009, -0/+13Isn't that kind of like giving in to terrorists? Let's not fine them, 'cause our prices will go up... gee, what will they do next then?
- twiztidsinz, on 07/19/2009, -2/+15I know, right...
Remember that time when the Mexicans messed with Texas at the Alamo? - ksalminen, on 07/19/2009, -2/+14A billion dollars for Exxon is pocket change.
- directedition, on 07/19/2009, -0/+12Right. For some people, a parking ticket means they can't make rent that month. And for some people you wouldn't have to think twice about parking in a hospital's fire lane.
- EddiePotato, on 07/19/2009, -0/+12Yep. So you've effectively deterred working class people from parking where they shouldn't, but not rich people, which means the problem of illegal parking has not been addressed; only the city government's desire for cash has been.
And while we're ranting here, I'd like to point out that city streets do NOT need cleaning three time a week. The only reason some cities *San Fran cough cough* have such frequent street cleaning at odd hours is to bilk the public of money (again the working class since they don't have garages). Every day there's a little brigade of parking farts in their little carts gleefully slapping tickets on all the cars which weren't moved MWF 3AM-5AM. The scheme makes millions off people who can least afford tickets. - localzuk, on 07/19/2009, -5/+16It'll damage their share value.
- arkaycee, on 07/19/2009, -0/+11The more that things change...
"In many cases, canals were filled in for 'health reasons', only to find a newly laid railroad track on their right of way. "
... regarding the competition of the railroad, and the Ohio and Erie Canal in 1879. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_and_Erie_Canal . I just happened to be reading that a few minutes ago. - ZenMojo, on 07/19/2009, -1/+12What makes you think they're not raising gas prices already? If they can arbitrarily control how much you pay for gas, why not inflate gas prices through the roof from the start?
- Ultomato, on 07/19/2009, -2/+13buying electric cars will put these guys out of business
- mikemehak, on 07/19/2009, -0/+11I'm going to go fill up my tank before this kits the afternoon news.
This is a good excuse for the price to go up. - alecsputnik, on 07/19/2009, -6/+17they pay fine, then raise gas prices so WE pay the fine. *****.
- rotundo, on 07/20/2009, -0/+10The thing I wonder is how people like Margaret Ross can look at themselves in the mirror, kiss their children with their filthy lying mouths, or find employment anywhere.
Yeah, I know that's the way business operates but it shouldn't be. This willingness to lie and weasel out of things is what allows this crap to happen in the first place and it ***** things up for everyone. It's destructive to our society. It's more destructive than being a petty thief. Yet somehow it is almost encouraged by the modern business practices. I guess because most companies are too pussy to compete in a fair fight. So they make a mockery of capitalism.
I hope they get hit with the $1bn fine and I hope that everyone involved in the sabotage and more importantly the coverup and the continued lying gets put on skid row. Of course that won't happen, but it would be a step in the right direction. - twiztidsinz, on 07/19/2009, -2/+12No, sorry... Standard Oil doesn't ring a bell as I wasn't alive back in 1911.
But feel free to tell me, what does the former Standard Oil of NEW JERSEY circa 1910 being part of a monopoly have to do with sabotaging ~100 oil wells in TEXAS in the past 17 years?
Feel free to continue grasping at more straws... -
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