NOAA Director Dr. Jane Lubchenco last week called for plume sampling to pause while researchers coordinate sampling methods, saying that the large signal falloff shows that researchers need to know better what they are doing before they proceed with current sampling.

Republican senatorial candidate Rand Paul simply said with Republicans believe – that this country should focus on promoting corporations and those corporations should have privileges but not responsibilities. The Republican policy, apparently, is “Mine Baby Mine” and “Drill Baby Drill;” taxpayers will forgive “accidental” worker deaths and pay to clean “accidental” spills.

A perspective of the Department of Interior from an on-the-ground activist.

The New York Times has been tracking the Mineral Management Service’s compliance with the moratorium on new OCS/Gulf drilling permits announced by President Obama and Interior Secretary Salazar. Their finding: MMS continues to issue new drilling and related permits on activities just like those conducted by the Deepwater Horizon rig.

Not long ago, President Obama demanded accountability from a Rhode Island school district and pretty much endorsed the firing of the whole staff of a school. Why not apply the same standards at the Department of the Interior?