Washington – A federal judge in New Orleans has blocked a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects that was imposed in response to the massive Gulf oil spill.
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Several companies that ferry people and supplies and provide other services to offshore drilling rigs had asked U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans to overturn the moratorium.
President Barack Obama’s administration has halted the approval of any new permits for deepwater drilling and suspended drilling at 33 exploratory wells in the Gulf.
Feldman says in his ruling that the Interior Department failed to provide adequate reasoning for the moratorium. He says it seems to assume that because one rig failed, all companies and rigs doing deepwater drilling pose an imminent danger.
The White House announced it will appeal the ruling.
A Federal judge with common sense – an abberration or a Reagan appointee. Tell the knee jerk reactionists and the environmentalists that they will have a cozy cell next to BP’s CEO as they are equally responsible for this disaster.
Way to Go!!! Stop the Abomination of the United States free country – Vote Republican instead of Socialist Democratic.
Thank goodness!!
The moratorium was the Obama Regime acting stupidly. With that serious lack of logic, we should have no cars, trucks, airplanes, buildings, etc., because of various ACCIDENTS.
All the moratorium was, was a way to push more envirowakeyness on us from this uber leftist regime.
that’s right don’t give up! after all these rigs were inspected after the accident. all obama want’s is to be a controlling dictater. if one gets hit by a car will the govt outlaw cars because they cause accidents? life goes on and accidents do happen, but that is not the reason to close down all of the rigs. many people are out of jobs as is and now with this more people are out of jobs.
bravo finally people standing up for what is right and a judge with intelligence
Call it politics. Call it craziness.Call it stupidity. Yet, who is stupid? Calling the oil disaster an accident is completely correct, but meaningless. Sometimes accidents can be prevented. After one such as is affecting the gulf it is time to step back and say what will make things safer. Mr. liberalism is a disease misses the point. When an airplane goes down there is an investigation. If necessary planes are grounded.
That number 1 believes that environmentalists are responsible defies logic.
I too have problems with the administration. #2 I may join you in voting Republican, yet it remains clear that the government must enact regulations to further safety. I need a licence to drive a car. There are codes to build houses safely. There must be regulations protecting the environment of the gulf if only to insure that 1-3 have oil free beaches for Pessach.
Thank g-d for a little sanity in this crazy world
Somehow I knew the crazies would be pouncing all over this story. So let’s start with some facts.
1. The moratorium only covered deep-water EXPLORATORY wells in the gulf. These wells are considered experimental.
2. There are over 3000 wells in the gulf which are NOT, that’s right… NOT AFFECTED by the moratorium.
3. There are currently only 33 deep-water exploratory wells in progress in the gulf. We are talking about 1% of the wells. These wells are not even producing any oil yet.
4. The technology (ultimately failed technology) of using sea water instead of a mud and concrete mixture to pack the well at those depths is now in question. Several other exploratory wells are planning to use the same method.
What people don’t seem to understand is that this well (and about 15 of the other exploratory wells being put up) were using technology that was never designed for those depths and never proven at those depths.
This well was the first of its kind. If the FIRST 747 had exploded, we would certainly not have grounded every Boeing airplane, but we certainly would have held up any other 747’s until the cause was determined.
On a side note, it should be made clear that this judge is a rather hefty investor in both the company that built the well (TransOcean) AND the company that provided the concrete (Haliburton). They are also involved in MOST of the wells in question here. Maybe its his own investments he is looking to protect? I’m not saying I know for sure that he is biased, but it sure sounds fishy to me.