Disaster Preparedness and Risk Management

This is the latest news regarding the disaster unfolding in Louisiana. Excerpted from Foxnews.com. "British Petroleum downplayed the possibility of a catastrophic accident at an offshore rig that exploded, causing the worst U.S. spill in decades along the Gulf coast and endangering shoreline habitat.

In its 52-page exploration plan and environmental impact analysis for the well, BP suggested it was unlikely, or virtually impossible, for an accident to occur that would lead to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish, mammals and fisheries.

BP's plan filed with the federal Minerals Management Service for the Deepwater Horizon well, dated February 2009, says repeatedly that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities."

And while the company conceded that a spill would impact beaches, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas, it argued that "due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected."

There will be more questions about risk projection, risk assessment, risk assessment, risk analysis, and finally--the person who signed off on the Risk Assessment Report. I am not surprised there wasn't a disaster preparedness plan. There wasn't any probability of a disaster occurring in the first place.