http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704250104575237981485045538.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories
The tiny agency pretty much says it all, they only collect. American Petroleum Industry writes the rules because it's better for their bottom line.
The Interior Department plans to split the Minerals Management Service into two divisions, one focusing on gathering royalties from oil and gas companies and another focused on safety inspections.
..The tiny agency currently plays dual roles, focusing on collecting money as well as on ensuring the safety of oil drilling in federal waters and land. Some former employees have said that amounts to a conflict-of-interest, as employees must focus on keeping oil revenue flowing while also focusing on safety.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/10/93859/us-agency-lets-oil-industry-write.html#storylink=omni_popular
The oil industry, not the federal agency that regulates it, plays a crucial role in writing the safety and environmental rules for offshore drilling, a role that critics say reflects cozy ties between an industry and its regulators that need to be snapped.
Nearly 100 industry standards set by the American Petroleum Industry are included in the nation's offshore operating regulations. The API asserts that its standards are better for the industry's bottom line and make it easier to operate offshore than if the Minerals Management Service set the rules
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/10/93859/us-agency-lets-oil-industry-write.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz0neEUw5SL
