New offshore oil moratorium not focused on depth

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GULF_OIL_SPILL_MORATORIUM?SITE=SCAND&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Obama administration is issuing a new moratorium on deep-water offshore drilling and it's no longer based on water depth.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the announcement Monday, arguing that a pause is still needed to ensure that oil and gas companies implement safety measures to reduce risks - and are prepared to handle spills.

The new moratorium will last through Nov. 30. Unlike the last moratorium, which applied to waters of more than 500 feet, the new one applies to any deep-water floating facility with drilling activities.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/us/13commission.html
“I remain open to modifying the new deepwater drilling suspensions based on new information,” Mr. Salazar said, “but industry must raise the bar on its practices and answer fundamental questions about deepwater safety, blowout prevention and containment, and oil spill response.”