(NEW ORLEANS) — The Coast Guard has criticized the Marshall Islands flag state for insufficient oversight of the Deepwater Horizon rig, the Times-Picayune newspaper reported. The Coast Guard said the Marshall Islands should not have outsourced inspection and equipment assessment to Det Norske Veritas. The Marshall Islands said U.S. investigators haven’t yet drawn a distinction between causes of the fatal explosion and systemic improvements that may prevent such an accident in the future.
