BP Still Not Showing All Feeds; Chairman Releases New Footage, YouTube Example of BP's Multiple Video Capabilities
WASHINGTON (May 24, 2010) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today called on BP to ensure that the public has full access to all video footage from the sea floor. After coaxing BP to provide a live feed of the undersea operations at the leak site and surrounding area, Rep. Markey today also asked BP to make public all 12 possible feeds. He noted that the current single camera shot, available through BP’s or Chairman Markey’s Web sites, does not show the full range of oil leaks and activities.
"BP currently has the ability to view several video images from the ocean floor at one time, using as many as 12 cameras,” writes Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, in a letter to BP. “It is incumbent upon BP to at least provide the American public with a complete and accurate picture of the situation as it unfolds.”
In addition to calling for access to multiple video screens, the letter also raised questions on time stamp information and whether the footage would be archived for the public.
The letter sent to BP America CEO Lamar McKay can be found by clicking HERE .
Last week, after Rep. Markey’s request, BP agreed to provide live footage of the subsea spill operations. Rep. Markey first provided a live link to the accident site a few minutes before 1:30 PM EST on Thursday, May 20. Demand for the video from the public and the news media was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of people visited the Select Committee (www.globalwarming.house.gov) Web site in the first 24 hours. The Energy and Commerce Committee was also able to provide access to the feeds due to Rep. Markey's request.
To show the discrepancies in the available footage and the provided footage, Rep. Markey released a YouTube video showing the multi-screen images that have been provided to his office, featuring video of multiple leak sites on the ocean floor.
To view BP’s multi-screen camera views, and other not-yet-seen footage, please click HERE .
In the letter, Rep. Markey made clear that he did not want the public viewing to interfere with operations by BP and others in any way. However, he did stress the need to make all archived footage of BP’s containment dome effort, the upcoming “Top Kill” and other attempts to kill the well.
“This video record will be critically important to scientists and engineers who can learn from BP efforts as they develop new technologies to stop deep water oil spills,” said Rep. Markey.
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