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Locked on 08/12/2011 7:05:26 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator, reason:
duplicate: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2762980/posts |
Posted on 08/12/2011 6:05:42 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge on Friday threw out Obama administration rules that sought to slow down expedited environmental review of oil and gas drilling on federal land.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal ruled in favor of a petroleum industry group, the Western Energy Alliance, in its lawsuit against the federal government, including Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
The ruling reinstates Bush-era expedited oil and gas drilling under provisions called categorical exclusions on federal lands nationwide, Freudenthal said.
The government argued that oil and gas companies had no case because they didn't show how the new rules, implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service last year, had created delays and added to the cost of drilling.
Freudenthal rejected that argument.
"Western Energy has demonstrated through its members recognizable injury," she said. "Those injuries are supported by the administrative record."
An attorney for the government declined to comment but Kathleen Sgamma, director of government and public affairs for the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance, praised the ruling.
"She completely discounted the government's argument that the harm was speculative," Sgamma said of the judge.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows the BLM and Forest Service to invoke categorical exclusions and skip new environmental review for drilling permits under certain circumstances.
The circumstances include instances where companies plan to disturb relatively little ground and environmental review already has been done for that area. A categorical exclusion also can be invoked when additional drilling is planned at a well pad where drilling has occurred within the previous five years.
Categorical exclusions were widely used throughout the West — especially in the gas boom states of Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico — until last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
More good news. Obama’s plunging popularity will allow more people to question the administration of BO.
2 for 2 today!
The list, ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Maybe the honeymoon is finally coming to an end.
Bad day to be him....
Another finger poked into Obummer’s eye.
Love it.
Federal judge appointed by Obama.
First Obamacare rejected, then this...
great Friday! I know Odumbo must be crying his big ears by now..
So Obambi is taking a little flack with his “rule by decree” plan. I wonder what’s next? Watch out for black helicopters.
Drill, Judge drill.
He’s failing at his job, which we thought would happen, and he’s failing in the courts. It’s nice to see.
Enough earth worship and lets drill baby drill.
Pray for America
“Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.” “...that oil and gas companies had no case because they didn’t show how the new rules, implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service last year, had created delays and added to the cost of drilling.
Another advertisement for Obama job creation skills. When he said he was going to spread the wealth, he meant from country to countries like Brazil or Egypt.
Now that’s funny.
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