Oil rig regulators under scrutiny

WASHINGTON, Conn., May 4 (UPI) -- U.S. lawmakers are taking a closer look at the federal agency that regulates oil rigs, like Deepwater Horizon, now the site of an environmental disaster.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has expressed concern the oil rig the Swiss company TransOcean operated for British oil giant BP until it sank in the Gulf of Mexico after an April 20 explosion did not have a remote-control shut-off switch, an available safety mechanism used on other oil rigs, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Issa said Republican members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform would investigate the Minerals Management Service, focusing on a possible lapse in standards.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Issa wrote, the service "may have sidelined regulatory efforts that would have brought the U.S. oil industry in line with prevailing industry safety standards."

The Obama administration is also aware of the lack of a remote-control shut-off mechanism. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said he brought the concern up with President Barack Obama, the newspaper said.

Oil rigs are mandated to have a minimum of one backup system to shut off wells in an emergency, but it is not required the backup system be remote-controlled, MMS said.