It never fails, a few days after a national emergency; rising to the surface like oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico emerges the revelation that the federal government dropped the ball and exacerbated an otherwise manageable problem.  Even Boy Scouts know that being prepared at the outset prevents something small from turning into a major catastrophe. Yet Washington DC, with all its money, resources and bluster can't seem to follow through on the plans even they propose. Could it be that bureaucratic regulators are the ones in need of regulation? In 1994, federal agencies established a plan of attack to address the potential threat of oil spills. Called an "In-Situ Burn," the decision was to employ fire booms to burn off oil if there was an accidental leak.  Fire booms contain oil leakage and prevent environmental damage before it reaches the coastline. Sort of like a sponge mopping up spilled milk before it drips through the cracks in the table, between...(Read Full Post)