The only time I have ever heard of the government doing anything without doing an eco-system study and a bunch of other red-tape stuff.  Must be some rich guy called his congressman because he didn't like sailing past the rusty hulks.

It is the fish's fault anyway, the notice was clearly filed in the basement of Hall of Records under demolitions scheduled, in North Dakota.

THE HORROR!!!!!

Won't someone think of the tight redheads!

Having been SCUBA diving off of gulf rigs many times, I can imagine the loss of habitat. Those things were always teeming. It's a shame.

That being said, I don't really think it's a good idea long-term to have to just leave every single (permanent)  rig ever built standing in place until they collapse into the ocean through decay.

Seems like there's some middle ground here to be had...

Prospero424: Seems like there's some middle ground here to be had...

Let's blow up the new ones that haven't yet become artificial reefs!

Oh snap.

Obviously the first thing that we should do is abolish and disband the government.

Maybe if they blow enough of them they'll find Jimmy Hoffa.

Prospero424: Having been SCUBA diving off of gulf rigs many times, I can imagine the loss of habitat. Those things were always teeming. It's a shame.

That being said, I don't really think it's a good idea long-term to have to just leave every single (permanent)  rig ever built standing in place until they collapse into the ocean through decay.

Seems like there's some middle ground here to be had...

 I think we were at the middle ground.
there is no explanation of why these were destroyed - they weren't about to collapse due to decay.

Count me as another vote in the "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" column.  One the one hand, suck to kill that many fish, on the other hand, you lose a "artificial reef" but I have to imagine you get a more rubble-pile shaped "artificial reef" out of the deal.

Whether blown up by a demo crew or blown down by a storm some day, I've also got to think there's probably some stuff getting into the Gulf that shouldn't be - unless they are really good and thorough about clean up of the rig before blowing it.  Given that industries track record, well, it sucks to be a fish I guess.

Explosive Fed. Mandate Killing Thousands of Red Snapper

Look, you can either have the red snapper or you can go for what's in the box that Hiro-San is bringing down the aisle right now! What's it gonna be?

Pants full of macaroni!!: Obviously the first thing that we should do is abolish and disband the government.

No, but if civilian corporation did this on their own accord you know the feds would be all over them for it.

mikaloyd: Just ut decorative covers over them like long beach harbor does

I don't think we're really talking about the same scale here:

ultraholland: Explosive Fed. Mandate Killing Thousands of Red Snapper

Look, you can either have the red snapper or you can go for what's in the box that Hiro-San is bringing down the aisle right now! What's it gonna be?

Nothing! You so stooopid!

Explosive Fed. Mandate Killing Thousands of Red Snapper Causing Tornadoes
/ftfy

Yesterday's protest: "We hate oil rigs!!!"

Today's: "Save the oil rigs!!"

and yall keep voting Democrat....

tenpoundsofcheese: there is no explanation of why these were destroyed

Well, just because a brief article by a local television station didn't provide an explanation doesn't mean there isn't one.

But yeah, I pretty much agree.  If there really is that big of an die-off at each of these well sites, they should at least halt the program temporarily until a better impact assessment can be had.

Why are they blowing them up?

One reason (total guess) might be that they are a navigational hazard, which seems like it could be a serious problem. Still, explosives seems like a bad idea. You'd think that when they are erected they would be built so that they could be removed relatively easily. Of course, the oil must flow and damn the consequences.

Jument: Why are they blowing them up?

One reason (total guess) might be that they are a navigational hazard, which seems like it could be a serious problem. Still, explosives seems like a bad idea. You'd think that when they are erected they would be built so that they could be removed relatively easily. Of course, the oil must flow and damn the consequences.

You expect foresight from the oil industry?  On environmental issues?

Prospero424: mikaloyd: Just ut decorative covers over them like long beach harbor does

I don't think we're really talking about the same scale here:

[upload.wikimedia.org image 400x267]

[coto2.files.wordpress.com image 600x355]

So are they in deep enough water that the pile that's left on the bottom when they blow it isn't a navigation hazard, or are they really just addressing the "eyesore" issue?

Because I can see where that would be easier to see and avoid then a rubble pile that peaks 20 feet below the surface.

Keep in mind that not all rigs are fixed in place.  Here's a handy illustration of the various platform types in use:

TommyDeuce: So are they in deep enough water that the pile that's left on the bottom when they blow it isn't a navigation hazard, or are they really just addressing the "eyesore" issue?

I honestly don't know, but I can't imagine them leaving an unmarked navigation hazard.  In fact, I'm pretty sure there are laws both federal and international that forbid that.

I just don't know enough about this program to say for sure.

As a side note: abandoned and/or decaying oil rigs creep me right the fark out. Same with shipwrecks.

Fun to dive on, tho.

well i'm glad they decided to choose the most destructive possible solution to the situation.  it's not like they could have been turned into eco-tourism resorts and research facilities being that 90% of our reefs right now are going through bleaching from global warming and it might be nice to generate new habitat and study how we may be able to help.

WHAT THE fark IS WRONG WITH OIL COMPANIES AND THE STUPID shiat GOVERNMENT.

there's better ideas in the pile of dog crap in front of my apartment building than there is in either of those two entities.

SouthParkCon: [farm2.staticflickr.com image 640x480]

DAMMIT! Came here to post that.

Please, think of the RED SNAPPERS

Prospero424: Keep in mind that not all rigs are fixed in place.  Here's a handy illustration of the various platform types in use:

[upload.wikimedia.org image 600x236]

You'd think it'd be a lot more efficient if they weren't all built so close together...

Prospero424: mikaloyd: Just ut decorative covers over them like long beach harbor does

I don't think we're really talking about the same scale here:

[upload.wikimedia.org image 400x267]

[coto2.files.wordpress.com image 600x355]

Those are actually about the same scale as the ones in Long Beach Harbor. Keep in mind the breakwater in Long Beach/Los Angeles was designed to be large enough to house most of the Pacific Fleet in WW2

Why is this a taxpayer problem? They reaped the benefit of sweetheart leases to pillage the public's natural resources. Let them remove their own equipment in a safe,clean and timely manner. On their own farking dime.

Brick-House: [3.bp.blogspot.com image 402x337]

dstrick44: Why is this a taxpayer problem? They reaped the benefit of sweetheart leases to pillage the public's natural resources. Let them remove their own equipment in a safe,clean and timely manner. On their own farking dime.

Exactly. I'm surprised a comprehensive decommissioning plan isn't part of the environmental impact report required to build these things.

/Okay, I lied, I'm not that surprised.

Are we even reading the same story.  I think things are a lot worse than any of you realize.  Here, I took a screengrab:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigs-to-Reefs

So some of the work is going to kill a few fish, but in the end, provide good habitat.

mikaloyd: [cbsla.files.wordpress.com image 300x225]

[www.conservation.ca.gov image 587x389]

Just ut decorative covers over them like long beach harbor does

Years ago I lived in Long Beach, and heard from out of town visitors, again and again, "Wow, how much do those biatchin' lookin' high-rises on those islands rent for?" It was a running joke to quote some outrageous number.

As a scientist, I think it's abominable

As a snowman I thing everything is abominable, including me!