Episode 204 • • 21:11 - 30:26
204: Oil Spill Déjà vu
Rachel Maddow, 1979 Ixtoc I Oil Spill Comparison
Rachel Maddow aired archival NBC footage from June 1979 showing a near-identical scenario to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. In 1979, the Ixtoc I well blew out in the Gulf of Mexico while the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was simultaneously restricted due to leaks. The comparison suggests the oil industry is following an old playbook for managing disasters and manipulating market prices rather than improving safety technology.