If the question asked by U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman is a guide going forward, the six-month moratorium on oil could be lifted as early as Wednesday.
The moratorium covers the 33 existing well searching for oil in the Gulf, as well as suspending any new drilling permits being awarded in the region.
Feldom queried a government lawyer concerning why this time there was an oil spill there was a suspension of deep-water drilling, when in the case of the Exxon Valdez there wasn't a ban on other oil tankers transporting the oil, as well as in other industrial accidents which could have resulted in similar orders.
The judge is presiding over a lawsuit filed by Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, La., which claims Obama and his administration took the extraordinary steps without any proof the remaining drilling posed a threat in any way.
Actually, almost all of them were cleared of any problems after being checked, yet remain under the moratorium.
According to the Hornbeck lawsuit, the moratorium will probably cost the area millions of dollars in lost wages, along with thousands of jobs.
The judge will make a ruling on Wednesday on whether to lift the moratorium or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment