"Culture of ethical failure" at MMS reinforces influence of Big Oil

17.09.08 - 17:04 ... source : Defenders of Wildlife

... Statement from Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen WASHINGTON – A new report from the inspector general's office at the Department of the Interior has revealed that more than a dozen current and former employees of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) – the agency responsible for overseeing royalty payments made by energy companies drilling on public lands – accepted financial gifts and other favors from the very companies whose activities they were expected to police. The following is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "Today's revelations demonstrate once more that the Bush administration is deep in the pocket of Big Oil. Never have I heard of such a blatant case of agency officials taking gifts from industry in exchange for preferential treatment. "This is the agency responsible for making sure that energy drilling on public lands benefits the ...» Next (HTML)