Is The Jones Act Slowing Down the BP Oil Spill Clean Up?
Is The Jones Act Slowing Down the BP Oil Spill Clean Up
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The Jones Act 1920, which actually provides cover against personal Injury accidents to those working on ships & vessels , has been seen as many as being a barrier to the clean up operation of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Act, as well as providing personal injury cover, also requires that vessels operating in US waters be built in the US and operated by US crew.
This means that better equipped clean up ships from other countries have not been able to be brought in and help with the clean up, which many see as leading to the clean up taking much longer than necessary.
Many are calling for a waiver to be issued allowing the Jones Act to be passed over. This was done by the Bush administration during the clean up after hurricane Katrina.
However, Admiral Thad Allen says that there has been no official call for a waiver yet and neither is there a need for one, ""If it gets to the point where a Jones Act waiver is required, we're willing to do that too Nobody has come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver."
There is widespread relief that the reason a waiver hasn't been issued is because it would upset the labor unions if non US ships and crews were brought in to help with the clean up operation.
Should better equipped, foreign ships and help be brought in? Let us know what you think in the comments below.