[kingu]

The administration also is expected to make the case that the industry is ill-equipped to respond to a blowout in deep water -- as evidenced by the nearly three months that oil has been flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. In legal briefs, the administration also has stressed that essential resources to clean up and contain another spill -- from chemical dispersants to boom -- are tied up with the BP disaster, making them unavailable if another spill happened soon.

Why stop there? The Ixtoc blowout shows that the industry is ill-equipped to handle a shallow water blowout too, since that lasted 14 months. Though unless the order mentions some review board that is actually reviewing methods and has a deadline to present a report prior to the expiration of the temporary suspension, I've the feeling the same judge is going to overturn this one as well.

[Charles Martel]

This new ban might not be dealt with by Judge Feldman. A new petition for injunctive relief may be warranted, not just additional pleadings in the previous case. Any lawyers out there know?