Chris Oynes, MMS Official, To Step Down In Wake Of Gulf Oil Spill

[freddie mertz]

Chris Oynes, MMS Official, To Step Down In Wake Of Gulf Oil Spill
First Posted: 05-17-10 02:30 PM | Updated: 05-17-10 02:50 PM

Chrys Oynes, the associate director of Offshore Energy and Minerals Management at the Minerals Management Service will retire May 31, reports The Washington Post:

Oynes, who oversaw oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico for 12 years before being promoted to MMS associate director for Offshore Energy and Minerals Management, has come under fire for being too close to the industry officials he regulated. The Post reports that Oynes made the announcement Monday.

His move follows the April 20 explosion aboard the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent oil spill. In the wake of the spill, Interior Secretary Ken Slazar announced plans to split MMS into two separate agencies: one that would oversee safety compliance and another that would oversee drilling leases and royalty collection.

Oynes was promoted to associate director despite his role in a "foul-up" at the MMS' regional office in New Orleans, reports The Times-Picayune:
During his tenure at the Gulf regional office in Louisiana for the MMS, Chris Oynes played a central role in an offshore leasing foul-up that cost taxpayers an estimated $10 billion in lost revenue. The Interior Department's inspector general called the matter "a jaw-dropping example of bureaucratic bungling." Despite that, the agency's then-director promoted Mr. Oynes in 2007 to associate director for the offshore program.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/17/chris-oynes-mms-official_n_579009.html

One down....

[Enrique]

1. forgive my being superficial, but...

I'll bet anyone a quarter that this "regulator" wears a cowboy hat.



Plus, in the interest of being fair, I posted a thread earlier comparing the teacher firings that Obama chose to say he was ok with, with the lack of any talk of anyone being fired over this spill. Those teachers were just hired back, and I'll give Obama credit for this firing, even though the article doesn't mention Obama.

[Sky Masterson]

16. The man you are about to see

has no neck

[saracat]

2. And exactly why was he kept on by Salazar in the first place? Why is he just

being replaced NOW? Inquiring minds want to knwo. Heads should roll and not just this one.

[freddie mertz]

3. Agreed. Salazar should probably go too.

He kept these morans on for a year and a half, as the administration (and the president) blithely ignored (at best) the safety issues.

[amborin]

12. Salazar must step down

S was fully aware of the MMS mess and vowed to clean it up saying, "new sheriff in town." But then S did nothing. S is notoriously cozy with big oil; and, worst of all is the way this BP disaster was exempted from required EIS, which would have prohibited it.

There needs to be a fully independent investigation; but even before that, S needs to step down.

The way O has allowed BP to continue to keep scientists at bay; to prevent accurate measurement of the flow; to use toxic dispersants (with bad, unintended, or perhaps, known, consequences); to disallow Dutch skimmer ships from operating; etc....is unacceptable and bordering on criminal.

[Jennicut]

4. Salazar was way too slow to clean up MMS.

MMS has a history of officials being too close to the people they were supposed to regulate:

On September 10, 2008, Inspector General Devaney found wrongdoing by a dozen current and former employees of the Minerals Management Service. In a cover memo, Devaney wrote “A culture of ethical failure” pervades the agency. According to the report, eight officials accepted gifts from energy companies whose value exceeded limits set by ethics rules — including golf, ski, and paintball outings; meals; drinks; and tickets to a Toby Keith concert, a Houston Texans football game, and a Colorado Rockies baseball game. The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.” According to the New York Times, "The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior

The new directer came in July 2009. So almost a year to do something. Obama did not lead to the MMS being a mess, but Salazar did not act very fast or maybe he just didn't care.

[asphalt.jungle]

5. a change in presidents doesn't mean everyone gets fired

the guy has been around for 12 years so that he means was there for clinton, bush and obama.

and he wasn't fired, he's resigning. obviously pressured to resign, but they can't go around pressuring people to resign without cause (ethically speaking). this event gave them cause.

[freddie mertz]

6. He is just one of the bad apples.

They were obviously not looking at this the way we might have hoped.

Sigh.

[saracat]

7. But apparently he noticeably egregious, no ordinary holdover.

It was negligence not to pressure him to resign earlier. It sounds like he was being protected to get his thirty years in.

[freddie mertz]

8. This guy sucked.

How about some more recs for the firing of this creep?

[IndianaGreen]

9. there you go!

How about some more recs for the firing of this creep?

:kick:

[freddie mertz]

10. Thanks IG!

I mean, not much controversy on THIS one, is there?

[Donnachaidh]

11. retiring is not a reprimand - he toddles his fat ass off with full bennies, etc.

I'd like to see him stripped of all that - and jail time.

political criminals get swag on the way out the door. :puke:

[ShortnFiery]

13. Yes, we promote or let screw-ups retire whereas China would execute them.

Perhaps they were just fall-guys but didn't the Chinese Government EXECUTE OFFICIALS after the tainted baby formula tragedy?

Both of the above are extremes but SOMEBODY should be held accountable and PAY a price?

[elehhhhna]

15. He's retiring to a big fat oilco job.

betcha 100 bucks.

[DevonRex]

14. Freddie, don't faint. K&R.

:hi:

[freddie mertz]

17. Always welcome. We can all agree on this sorry character.

:thumbsup: :hi: