I have become extremely troubled watching and reading the non-stop news reports on the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil leak.
I am troubled by the spill itself. How could an accident of this magnitude occur in the first place? I am troubled by the specter of all of the lives and businesses that are and will be ruined in the Gulf region. I am troubled by the elusive comments of BP officials and from politicians and other government officials. And I am troubled by all the loose talk about the lack of planning for a worst-case scenario.
As a responsible owner and operator of passenger vessels, I can tell you that I plan for worst-case scenarios. To say that a worst-case scenario will never occur is irresponsible. However, it is safe to say that it is way down the line in terms of risk. Our company has complex security plans in place, conducts drills, and undergoes regular Coast Guard inspections.
The question is how much is enough and will the government continue to apply pressure to passenger vessel operations and other businesses to prepare for catastrophes that, from a risk standpoint, may never occur? How much time, effort and resources will be required from businesses to react to a highly unlikely worst-case scenario? And will regulators continue to raise the bar after an unintended, unexpected and rare accident occurs?
While it may be fairly easy to define a worst-case scenario on an oil rig, that's not the case when it comes to passenger vessels. There are scores of different vessel types and every operation is different. Is it a major security incident? Is it an oil spill? Is it an accident involving a collision or allision? The list goes on and on. Defining a worst-case passenger-vessel scenario is open to interpretation and opinion.
The federal government needs to realize that accidents happen and that prudent and responsible vessel operators plan for the unexpected. My fear is that the Coast Guard and others will require worst-case scenario plans for every potential pitfall, even when risk analyses say the chances of them occurring are almost nil. If this ends up being the case, it may be best to just stay tied to the dock.