Obama Asks Court to Reinstate Ban on Deepwater Drilling

[kpete]

Source: New York Times

Obama Asks Court to Reinstate Ban on Deepwater Drilling
By JOHN M. BRODER
Published: July 7, 2010


In a court filing late Tuesday, the Interior Department said that the six-month ban on drilling in more than 500 feet of water, imposed in late May, was necessary to allow time to adopt stricter safety and environmental regulation of deepwater wells.

The action has put hundreds of people who operate and service deepwater wells out of work and brought long-term uncertainty to the Gulf Coast economy. Politicians all along the coast have called the moratorium a case of federal overkill that threatens the livelihood of the region.

The moratorium was challenged in court by Hornbeck Offshore Services, a Louisiana firm that provides goods and services to offshore drilling and pumping platforms. Judge Martin L. C. Feldman of the United States District Court in New Orleans agreed with the company and on June 22 issued an order blocking implementation of the moratorium. He said the Obama administration had failed to justify the need for “a blanket, generic, indeed punitive, moratorium” on deepwater oil and gas drilling.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/us/08drill.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[liberal N proud]

1. He is going to need a bigger gavel

Or Check.

The judge has already been paid off!

[Fearless]

2. +1

[TheEuclideanOne]

3. Why don't they force the judge to recuse himself.

He keeps getting gifts, but doesn't see them.

[lfairban]

4. K&R

nt

[Snazzy]

5. yet the authority to ban photography by the CG requires no courts hmm?

edit--ban=set exclusion zone or whatever.

Point being, I think whatever emergency authority to shut down drilling in light of unprecedented corporate-greed environmental disaster, already exists, is already active, and is just not being used. Thad (+ Obama) doesn't need a court, and certainly shouldn't answer to one.

Now ordinarily, I might respond to a statement like that and say hey there Snazzy, that sounds kind of fascist, rule of law and all.

Not so here. If there is ever a case for executive and fed absolute authority like what they demand to have (and get) for a variety of national security issues, the utter destruction of the Gulf ought to fit the scheme. Well they possess the powers, shut the fucker down.

[TomCADem]

6. Obama Asks Court to Reinstate Ban on Deepwater Drilling

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has asked a federal court in Louisiana to reinstate the ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the moratorium was a rational response to the unparalleled emergency of the BP oil spill.

In a court filing late Tuesday, the Interior Department said that the six-month ban on drilling in more than 500 feet of water, imposed in late May, was necessary to allow time to adopt stricter safety and environmental regulation of deepwater wells.

The action has put hundreds of people who operate and service deepwater wells out of work and has brought long-term uncertainty to the Gulf Coast economy. Politicians all along the coast have called the moratorium a case of federal overkill that threatens the livelihood of the region.

The moratorium was challenged in court by Hornbeck Offshore Services, a Louisiana firm that provides goods and services to offshore drilling and pumping platforms, and by other oil service firms. Judge Martin L. C. Feldman of the United States District Court in New Orleans agreed with the company, and on June 22 issued an order blocking enforcement of the moratorium. He said the Obama administration had failed to justify the need for “a blanket, generic, indeed punitive, moratorium” on deepwater oil and gas drilling.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/us/08drill.html?_r=1&hpw

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The judge (who is an investor in oil stocks) believes that it is arbitrary to halt drilling in the wake of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Can you imagine what the Supreme Court is going to do with any Environmental laws under this rationale. If the worst oil disaster in history cannot even rationally justify a temporary moratorium, then what hope is there to get judicial approval of any type of environmental protection? According to the judge, the economic interests of the oil industry is paramount.

[ClassWarrior]

7. Thanks for posting. It's...

..."worst" by the way. Not "worse."

NGU.

[lonestarnot]

8. Yeah justice is gone too.

No justice no peace, word.