schmellba99 said:
Yep.
It doesn't help that many of these enforcement agencies have the ability to levy fines that go into their bank accounts - there is no incentive for OSHA to not fine you - they are the beneficiary of the check you have to write after they find a violation.
And I know this comes as a complete shock to guys like WESAG, but those big evil oil companies and corporations don't want to pollute. There is no benefit to them for doing so. They want clean air and clean water like the rest of us do, and most of them spend a rather large sum of money on an annual basis that comes right off the bottom line to keep their equipment running, containment systems in place, etc. There are far more benefits to being clean than just worrying about OSHA or TCEQ.
Some are obviously better than others, but the general mindset is that putting product on the ground or in the water or burning it unnecessarily isn't a good thing - even if it is just from a profitability standpoint, because that is product that can't be sold.
Hm, I'm sure they don't WANT to pollute, but their primary goal (like any other company) is to make profits. Environmental/Safety precautions come at a cost, and inevitably there's a line drawn where an acceptable level of risk is determined. Knowing human nature, I don't want the operators solely responsible for determining that.
While many on here seem to loathe government regulations, the fact is they are necessary because these companies don't operate in a vacuum. When they make mistakes, the general public suffers. And the history of the industrialized world is rife with examples of companies taking shortcuts that caused long-term environmental disasters. You can argue that this view has changed, but I'd argue that nitpicking from OSHA/TCEQ/EPA keeps them honest. It's a pain in the ass, but without that these companies would eventually descend back into old habits. I'd rather err on the side of caution and spend a few more dollars on my petroleum based products, but that's just my opinion.
