Judge Blocks Deep-Water Drilling Moratorium

The drilling moratorium imposed by the Obama administration was blocked by a judge after the huge scandal with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The moratorium was set for a period of 6 months and halted the approval of any new permits for deepwater drilling. The moratorium also suspended drilling at 33 already existing exploratory wells in the Gulf of Mexico as well as in the Pacific.

That judge is U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman. After hearing both stories, the oil companies and the administration arguments, judge Martin Feldman decided to block the moratorium. He stated that suspending all offshore drillings in depths of more than 500 feet cannot justify the enormous effect on the plaintiffs, the local economy, the nature and the aspect of the availability of domestic energy in the U.S.

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary said the Obama administration will appeal the decision to the 5th Circuit because the moratorium tries to protect the nature. If a company continues drilling without taking into consideration what could happen if something goes wrong (like it did at the BP’s Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico), it is simply a matter of irresponsibility and puts the safety of those on the rigs and the entire Gulf at risk. Of course, companies like Hornbeck Offshore Services could not step aside and watch the Obama administration suspend all deepwater drillings for 6 months, so the company had sued for declaratory and injunctive relief, asking for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the government to enforce the drilling moratorium on them. People are happy with this decision since because many depend on the oil industry to sustain their families.

As you know by now, the oil spill which lead to the actual ecological disaster from the Gulf of Mexico started on April 20 when there was an explosion and 11 workers died. Ever since, the well has gushed millions of oil into the Gulf.