Posted on 06/03/2010 11:55:46 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The Interior Department denied that it has extended a drilling freeze to shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, contradicting an e-mail written earlier Thursday by the head of the Minerals Management Service's supervisor of field operations for the Gulf of Mexico.
An Interior Department spokesman said "shallow water drilling may continue as long as oil and gas operations satisfy the environmental and safety requirements Secretary Salazar outlined in his report to the President and have exploration plans that meet those requirements. There is no moratorium on shallow water drilling."
Earlier, Michael J. Saucier, regional supervisor of field operations for the MMS Gulf of Mexico region, said in an e-mail to one company seeking a permit that "until further notice we have been informed not to approve or allow any drilling no matter the water depth." Only three days earlier he had told the same company that drilling in water up to 500 feet deep would not be affected by the Obama moratorium.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Keystone Cops.
And this is the gummint that will stop the oceans from rising, unscrew the economic mess it has created, etc?
Yeah I’m suprised the crackpot CO2 cult has not demanded that oil rigs be higher simply on the account of AGW (they were for hurricane resistance)
This oil disaster was too timely to have been an “accident”. It is ready made to finish off the fishing and recreational industries, and who knows how much more damage it will incur. My heart aches for its damage to wild life An independent investigation is warranted, and the truth revealed, and the sooner the better.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.