The Oil Spill and Drug Use

What does drug use have to do with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? It’s just one of the types of employee misconduct recently brought to light. News reports show that the Minerals Management Service (MMS), a division within the Interior Department, had problems long before the spill.

MMS Mismanagement

For many of us, we hadn’t even heard of the MMS before this latest disaster, but the agency oversees the offshore drilling in the U.S. Now there are allegations that the MMS has been riddled with mismanagement, misconduct and accepting gifts or favors from the companies they oversee. Free meals and sporting event tickets were accepted from corporations that the MMS was supposed to police, and there were also alleged instances of drug use.

The MMS is the same agency that issued the permits for BP’s Deepwater Horizon drill rig, which exploded on April 20, killing 11 and spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This spill – the most catastrophic in U.S. history – continues to threaten coastal regions and wildlife in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.

Amid reports of drug use and cozy deals that raised questions of objectivity, prompting a response from Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar when he appeared recently before the House Committee on Natural Resources. Salazar called some MMS conduct “reprehensible” and “scandalous” and admitted he was trying to change the agency’s culture and structure to avoid any future mismanagement.

There is no proof that any reported drug use led to the explosion on the rig, but some MMS employees have been fired or referred for prosecution, according to Salazar, for misbehavior on the job.

Drug Treatment

Drug abuse can lead to many dangerous situations. If you or someone you love is battling an addiction, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

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