A lawsuit was filed by Louisiana-based Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC and was joined by more than a dozen companies involved in offshore drilling operations to reverse the drilling ban imposed by the U.S. Department of Interior.Judge Feldman's ruling is really something. Sam Stein:
A federal judge in Louisiana granted the drillers' request for a preliminary restraining order that would prevent the ban from taking effect.
Feldman ruled that the Interior Department had failed to provide adequate reasoning for the moratorium and was making too-broad an assertion in suggesting that the other wells might suffer from the same problems as the one operated by BP.That's something, anyway. I wonder how many disasters it will take before Feldman would be convinced. Two-thirds of Americans agree with the six-month moratorium, and 49% now say offshore drilling is too dangerous period.
The administration's appeal of the ruling seems likely to ensure that the moratorium will stay in place for the time being - at least until the 5th Circuit determines whether they will hear the case and/or uphold or change the ruling. Indeed, it is not beyond the realm of reason that the appeals process could be dragged out at least until the administration is satisfied that the 33 wells where drilling has been put on halt, are sufficiently safe.
Again, the appeal means the moratorium should continue, depending on how quickly the 5th Circuit gets into gear on this. Surely they anticipated the appeal either way. Still, no evidence? Maybe this had something to do with it.
The federal judge who overturned Barack Obama's offshore drilling moratorium appears to own stock in numerous companies involved in the offshore oil industry—including Transocean, which leased the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to BP prior to its April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico—according to 2008 financial disclosure reports.Surely that didn't have any affect on this ruling at all.
Meanwhile....drill baby drill.
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