A House of Representatives inquiry into the BP oil rig explosion has found that some of the equipment employed by British Petroleum had serious defects that should have been rectified. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has announced that on the day of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, the well failed a key pressure test. Another member of Congress, Bart Stupak noted that there were “four significant problems” with the blowout preventer.
The news comes as federal officials in conjunction with BP employees are trying to stem the tide of the gushing oil spill that has yet to be contained and threatens Gulf of Mexico’s wildlife, fragile ecosystem and the economy. The oil spill threatens the livelihoods of fishermen, charter boat captains, tourism businesses, and restaurants all along the Gulf Coast. The economic effects of the oil spill are still unknown but could be devastating.