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Gee, what did people think would happen when the judge gave the deadline? It gives BOEMRE every incentive to just say, "Denied until you submit a complete application--we don't have time to negotiate for anything less."

Remember, BOEMRE actually had taken action on 6 of the 7 permits without denying them, telling the submitters that the permits lacked information required by the promulgated regulations and that they could be approved when complete. In fact, they had multiple correspondence over missing information--it's not like they were just sitting and ignoring these applications. And they had found flaws in the seventh application, too.

It's also hilarious that the court system would say:

"Perhaps it is reasonable for permit applicants to wait more than two weeks in a necessarily more closely regulated environment. Delays of four months and more in the permitting process are unreasonable, unacceptable and unjustified by the evidence before the Court."

The Court giving a lecture on backlog?!? ROTFLOL!

Judge Martin Feldman's order [...]

Oh, that explains it! ;-)

(Yes, I know it's actually Martin L.C. Feldman, the judge with all the oil stock.)

I know that this is one way the Administration is delaying drilling, but I sure don't want to say to them, "Fine--go ahead and ignore laws and regulations that have been promulgated by Congress!" Do we really want to say that, even if we know regulators overlook violations all the time and used to issue permits with far less than was officially required?

And how many of those grabbing pitchforks now had filed comments on the regulations the Administration is hiding behind now? I would put money down that the answer is zero.

Conservatives need to take action when regulations get promulgated, not just complain later. We need to stop falling for the "give more power to Obama" ploy. We need to file official comments, not post on FR, blogs, or columns. Otherwise, we play into the Left's hands.

Hold your horses a bit, Gondring. Yes, the administration is playing a “game” here. The delays on the permits are for de minimis reasons which are really excuses. Now the admin ups the ante by saying ok, if you force a decision we’ll just deny them.

Whether that subsequent denial will hold up under judicial reeview is another issue, the next step. But certainly the admin is playing with the applicants and the courts.

What SHOULD we expect the administration to do? Approve the permits and require the additional info within 3-6 months. Or deny the permits but expedite approval asap when the additional info arrives.

That’s what they would do IF they wamted anything other than a de facto stoppage of the drilling permits.

Of all the outrages liberals commit, I have to put their energy destruction policies at the top of the infuriating list.

Very interesting. And how would we go about filing comments?

You are on fire this morning! I can't argue with your points other than to say the new regulations were passed before the new congress came to power, so what good would it have done to complain to the democrat machine? The democrats even ignored the recommendations of their own scientific panel regarding the drilling moratorium. Remember this little controversy: Drilling Moratorium Violates Panel's Recommendation

"Fine--go ahead and ignore laws and regulations that have been promulgated by Congress!"

And therein is the lie... Point to any of these regulations "promulgated" by Congress. Congress legislated the power of these various agencies to regulate... but the regulations and requirements are almost entirely of the agencies' device. These regulations are NOT law... if anything they are an unconstitutional delegation of power reserved for Congress. But, like most big government types, you'd like to treat these regulations as if they were the same as constitutionally enacted laws. There is a big difference between regulations developed by a handful of unelected bureaucrats somewhere and laws passed by our elected representatives in Congress. But the liberal Congress of the last 40 years knew that the people would never stand for the draconian regulations they wanted, so they "delegated" and let the bureaucrats do what they couldn't.

I refuse to accept Congress' cowardice and illegality as a fundamental part of our system of government...

“We need to file official comments, not post on FR, blogs, or columns. Otherwise, we play into the Left’s hands.”

With respect, I must call Bravo Sierra on your optimistic line I quoted above.

From a quarter of a century of experience, trust me when I say that AgencyPersons only ask for public and expert input after the program is functionally decided upon.

The comments are then cherry picked.

Antonio Gramsci’s called for communists to take a generation or two detour and take over the agencies and education. His evil and treasonous plan has been actualized.

Talking to an AgencyPerson is like trying to teach a gorilla to write. it frustrates you, and eventually the gorilla just shoves the pencil in your eye.

Forget the “input” and make sure that the TEA Party sweeps out all commies.

Posting on FR reaches the most important population in America, those who know and oppose communism.