Since the Anchorage Daily News deleted this link with all of its comments on their Facebook page I am repeating and adding to my comments here.
The big issue is that the investor oligarchs behind BP are repeatably attempting to shed their environmental responsibilities around the world through the sale of productive capacity that is nearing the end of its design life.
There are many more years of oil to be recovered in Alaska but actuarial cost benefit analysis points to maximum profits through the sale of assets that are declining in functionality and have potentially very high maintenance and environmental clean-up costs.
BP as one of the largest oil companies in the world has decided to implement bad corporate behavior and sell high cost old investments to smaller companies that will have an easier time filing for bankruptcy in the future.
A repeated process of selling to smaller companies will insure that state, federal and local governments will be left to pay the human and environmental costs of cleaning up the mess made by the oil industry.
Using the cost benefit analysis model in a way that would represent the interests of populations would indicate an exit tax of tens of billions of dollars for oil companies to pay if they sell or abandon their productive capacity.
Large companies abandoning environmental and corporate responsibilities in Alaska should be dealt with in the harshest possible terms.
After BP pays tens of billions of dollars in exit taxes and forfeiture of properties, the BP building should be sold by the State of Alaska to be turned into living, hotel, legislative and office condos with a shopping and exercise mall below.
As one of the construction workers who helped build the BP building I have seen the complete drawings. There were plans for four tall buildings and four shorter buildings all connected with a common underground floor that were to be completed in the future.
All eight proposed interconnected buildings at the site should be completed so at least one of the infrastructure promises made by BP would benefit Alaska’s future. Maybe one of the new buildings could be redesigned for holding legislative sessions.
Too bad BP anticipated the potential for confiscation or heavy taxation of their properties because of their bad corporate behavior so they already sold their main office building to a financier oligarch.
Too bad Alaska politicians believed BP’s promises and still refuse to fight for Alaska’s interests.
