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There is a difference between a coverup and not informative reporting. From the article: "That is despite the fact that a North Dakota regulator has acknowled

There is a difference between a coverup and not informative reporting. From the article: "That is despite the fact that a North Dakota regulator has acknowledged the spill was much larger, and even the official record, right after stating the spill was 10 gallons, notes that the area was “saturated with natural gas condensate of an unknown volume,” and thus may have been larger." Hardly a coverup if they immediately stated the area is "saturated".

ceejayoz 7y ago
Reporting it as a ten gallon spill isn't mere incompetence. > Suess readily acknowledged that the officially listed spill size was too low. “We know it is significantly bigger than 10 gallons. We have known that since Day One,” Suess continued. Yet he defended the state’s decision to continue to list the spill as just 10 gallons.
- pacoWebConsult 7y ago
  As someone that is familiar with the software which powers a lot of the Oil and gas regulatory bodies in the US, this is not uncommon. It is basically all up to inspectors and regulators to determine and enter this data, with no tie back to actual measurements or integration to sensors that track well output or detect leaks/spills. Inspectors are typically former industry workers and may have perverse reporting incentives. Places like ND and WV are rife with corruption between wealthy drilling corps and regulatory bodies.
  - chabes 7y ago
    > Inspectors are typically former industry workers and may have perverse reporting incentives. Places like ND and WV are rife with corruption between wealthy drilling corps and regulatory bodies. This is a major part of the wider issue. Regulatory bodies are financially incentivized to not work as intended. There needs to be a restructuring of the current incentives, so as to balance the priorities of the people and the planet. Unfortunately, the rule makers are the profit takers, so don’t expect them to self regulate..
- FireBeyond 7y ago
  "... but it would be deception if I listed it as larger than 10 gallons because I don't know _how much_ larger than 10 gallons it is!"

ceejayoz 7y ago

Reporting it as a ten gallon spill isn't mere incompetence. > Suess readily acknowledged that the officially listed spill size was too low. “We know it is significantly bigger than 10 gallons. We have known that since Day One,” Suess continued. Yet he defended the state’s decision to continue to list the spill as just 10 gallons.

pacoWebConsult 7y ago
As someone that is familiar with the software which powers a lot of the Oil and gas regulatory bodies in the US, this is not uncommon. It is basically all up to inspectors and regulators to determine and enter this data, with no tie back to actual measurements or integration to sensors that track well output or detect leaks/spills. Inspectors are typically former industry workers and may have perverse reporting incentives. Places like ND and WV are rife with corruption between wealthy drilling corps and regulatory bodies.
- chabes 7y ago
  > Inspectors are typically former industry workers and may have perverse reporting incentives. Places like ND and WV are rife with corruption between wealthy drilling corps and regulatory bodies. This is a major part of the wider issue. Regulatory bodies are financially incentivized to not work as intended. There needs to be a restructuring of the current incentives, so as to balance the priorities of the people and the planet. Unfortunately, the rule makers are the profit takers, so don’t expect them to self regulate..
FireBeyond 7y ago
"... but it would be deception if I listed it as larger than 10 gallons because I don't know _how much_ larger than 10 gallons it is!"