'BP trying to gag scientists'

A man holds a plastic bag with seawater and
oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill south of
Freemason Island, Louisiana May 7, 2010


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135907§ionid=3510203


British energy giant BP is trying to silence scientists and academics involved in the oil titan's spill response in the Gulf of Mexico, the American Association of Professors says.

The British company, which faces more than 300 lawsuits for the April disaster that lead gallons of oil to gush into the Gulf, has reportedly offered scientists a contracts preventing them from publishing all research done for BP.

Speaking to the BBC, Cary Nelson, the head of the association on Thursday said BP is trying to "buy" the best to help its defense against litigation after the spill.

"This is really one huge corporation trying to buy faculty silence in a comprehensive way," Nelson added.

According to a copy of the document obtained by the BBC, scientists are forbidden from publishing any data for at least three years, unless the Obama administration approves BP's restoration plan for the whole of the Gulf.

"Faculty members under contract to BP, would be unable to testify against the company in court and would be available to testify on the company's behalf," Nelson also wrote in an article article in the Inside Higher Ed daily.

BP, which has pledged transparency and openness throughout the oil disaster, reportedly has also approached the head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama in a bid to hire the entire department.

"We laid the ground rules -- that any research we did, we would have to take total control of the data, transparency and the freedom to make those data available to other scientists and subject to peer review," Bob Shipp, the department head said.

"They left and we never heard back from them," He added

The Press-Register on Friday reported that scientists have been offered $250 an hour for their services to the oil giant.

"Scientists from Louisiana State University, the University of Southern Mississippi and Texas A&M have accepted offers," Alabama's oldest newspaper added.