A federal judge in Louisiana overturned the six month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf today. The ban, ordered by the Obama Administration following the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon well, put on hold all drilling in more than 500 feet of water and all new applications.
A group of boat operators and equipment suppliers had challenged the moratorium, claiming there's no evidence existing operations pose a threat and the ban imposed serious financial hardship.
In issuing the ruling, (U.S. District Judge Martin) Feldman said, "the court is unable to divine or fathom a relationship between the findings (of the government) and the immense scope of the moratorium. The plaintiffs assert that they have suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable harm as a result of the moratorium. The court agrees." (Link)
No evidence existing operations pose a threat? Sixty four days ago that might have been a plausible defense. It's hard to imagine how a broken well leaking some 60,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf doesn't constitute evidence of a threat.
The purpose of a moratorium is to establish time to establish a commission that will study current industry standards for safe deepwater oil drilling (if there is such a thing). That committee is just being formed now, and should concentrate on both safety standards going forward and some assessment of the adequacy of current deepwater drilling operations.
The government has already announced they'll appeal Judge Feldman's ruling. It seems a safe bet the farther from New Orleans the more likelihood an appeal ruling that places long term safety above near term economic issues.
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