The Trump administration sidelined science in a decision to roll back protections for the safety of offshore oil rig workers.
What happened: The Trump administration sidelined science in a decision to rollback protections for the safety of offshore oil rig workers. The protections being rolled back were intended to prevent another catastrophe like the Deepwater Horizon explosion – the most damaging oil spill in U.S. history. While the majority of public comments were in opposition to the revised rule, the administration proceeded with finalizing the rule. The Trump administration also did not conduct a risk analysis for the revised rule.
Why it matters: When science is sidelined from informing decisions then public health and safety is at-risk. In this case, by ignoring scientific evidence, the Trump administration is putting the safety and lives of offshore oil rig workers at-risk. Additionally, the administration is failing to consider the voices of scientists and technical experts, ignoring their public comments as part of the rule-making process. By failing to consider scientific input and evidence, it’s more likely that another catastrophe like the Deepwater Horizon explosion could occur.
Learn more about the how the Trump administration is putting the lives of offshore oil rig workers at risk.