MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" -Transcript
Interview
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MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. U.S. congressman Ed Markey released an internal document that shows the company, BP, knew the worst case scenario for the oil spill could climb to 100,000 barrels per day.
Welcome, Congressman Markey. No one knew it would be this bad. They apparently did know it could get this bad.
REP. ED MARKEY (D-MA), ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE: Well, as you know, in the first week they said that the spill was only 1,000 barrels per day. Then the second week, 5,000 barrels per day. And slowly but surely, it"s gone up to 60,000 barrels per day. They are now saying that by the middle of July, they have the capacity to actually store 80,000 barrels per day out on the ocean.
So I thought it was important for people to see this document, which BP prepared, which in the absolute worst case scenario, would lead to 100,000 barrels...
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MARKEY: ... per day going into the gulf.
MATTHEWS: Well, what was the difference--if you heard it from their point of view, what would they say was the difference because their initial claim of only a--still a hell of a lot of oil going into the gulf, a lot of oil going into the water there, ruining it--how would they explain that? Is it one condition, the way they saw it when it first blew, or a later condition if they cut--cut off the blowout preventer or what? What would they say?
MARKEY: Well, honestly, BP did not stand for "be prepared." They weren"t ready for any kind of an accident. They did not believe that there was any risk of a catastrophic accident happening. And so right from the very beginning, in my opinion, they were trying to lowball the number because their liability is actually tied to how many barrels per day go out into the gulf.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MARKEY: That"s how much they are going to be fined. So first it was 1,000, then 5,000, 19,000. Now it"s up to 35,000 to 60,000. And again, with each additional barrel per day, the fine goes into billions of dollars.
MATTHEWS: OK, so their representation of facts is in their interest always. We have to look at that. So here"s my scary question about the president. We were all watching, as you were, intently last week when the president said 90 percent of this is going to be capped off in the next days and weeks. Now, that--to most people, "next days and weeks" mean, well, maybe by the end of June or a little later, next days and weeks, doesn"t mean a month. Where did he get that number from, 90 percent will be capped off within the next days and months--next days and weeks?
MARKEY: Well, that is a number that was developed by Thad Allen and the team of experts that has been put together, working with BP to put a cap at 90 percent on this leak within the next several weeks. But remember, all along...
MATTHEWS: What are they talking about? What"s the--it"s not the relief wells.
MARKEY: No.
MATTHEWS: Those are coming in August. What are they going to do that"s going to stop it, 90 percent of the leak, in the next several days and weeks?
MARKEY: It is another form of cap which will be placed upon this well. But remember, even as recently as the end of last week, Thad Allen said that there are still significant questions about the integrity of the wellbore, that is, the pipe going down into the ocean.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MARKEY: So, I think that 90 percent is a good goal, but, again, there is still uncertainty that surrounds something that"s never been attempted before.
BP misrepresented their capacity to deal with this. So, all of this is being presented on the run.
MATTHEWS: Yes, but...
MARKEY: And all we can do is pray and hope that there is success.
MATTHEWS: Do you think the president was wise to take that estimate? I mean, you"re never supposed to predict good news unless you"re sure of it, if you"re a political leader. You"re only going to get hurt when the public gets disillusioned, say, wait a minute, didn"t you say next days and weeks, we"re going to 90 percent of this capped?
And if it does not happen, the president is going to be caught here looking like he believed something she shouldn"t have believed.
MARKEY: Again, the president was making his representations based upon the technical facts as he knew it in addressing the nation last week.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MARKEY: But there are still uncertainties with regard to the integrity of the wellbore and any technology in which they are going to apply.
And I think the American people know that. I know they know that BP has been making it up. I think they understand the degree of technical difficulty in capping this well. I think, however, at the same time, they know that the president is in the room and working as hard as he can to force a solution to this as quickly as possible.
MATTHEWS: OK. Thank you very much, Congressman Ed Markey, who has been on top of this from the beginning.
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