"House Democrats Seek Probe of BP Offshore Platform"

"A group of 19 House Democrats is asking the Minerals Management Service to investigate whether BP PLC has the required engineering documents to safely operate its Atlantis oil and gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

The platform "may be operating without crucial engineering documents, which, if absent, would increase the risk of a catastrophic accident that would threaten not only the workers on the platform, but also the Gulf of Mexico and the communities who depend on the resources it provides," the Democrats wrote in a letter to MMS.

Led by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who chairs the House Natural Resources subcommittee that oversees public lands, the lawmakers said a whistle-blower notified MMS in March 2009 that he believed BP did not have required engineer-approved drawings for the Atlantis subsea components."

Noelle Straub reports for Greenwire March 2, 2010.