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Economy | |||||||
Court cancels offshore drilling program | |||||||
2009-04-19 | |||||||
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Bush administration did not properly study the environmental impact of expanding oil and gas drilling off the Alaska coast and canceled a program to find new reserves.
It wasn't entirely clear whether the decision applies to other areas of the same expanded offshore drilling program, including tracks in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast. Attorneys for the environmentalists and the industry said they think it would cancel the entire program, not just in the Arctic region.
The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's trade association, which joined the lawsuit to defend the program, said Friday it is reviewing the implications. "It would be a disservice to all Americans - and a devastating blow to the economy - if this decision were to delay further the development of vital oil and natural gas resources," the organization said. "Development in federal waters off the nation's coast provides thousands of well-paying jobs, government revenues and the fuel needed to run America's cars and factories, heat our homes and the feedstock needed to make the materials we use every day." The Interior Department did not comment other than to say it was reviewing the decision. The department already had delayed the leasing program by five years to complete environmental studies.
"We're seeing a whole ecosystem potentially collapse," Mr. Snape said. "This really is a great opportunity for Salazar to do the right thing." Joseph Stanislaw, an independent senior adviser to Deloitte LLP, said it's becoming increasingly clear the rules are changing for oil and gas production under the Obama administration - changes that are likely to add time and cost to many drilling projects. Mr. Obama's priorities, Mr. Stanislaw said, place the environment and climate change ahead of energy security and domestic oil and gas supplies. "Trying to get a handle on these new rules will make life tougher for oil and gas companies," he said. "But these are very creative companies that will rise to the challenge and meet them. They're part of the game, and they want to stay in the game."
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Posted by:Steve White |
#6 Now ANY environmental wacko group and shop for some federal judges and shut down the effort. It does not matter how much you do or study the issue. There will ALWAYS be something more. As this article demonstrates. You need only find a Carter or Obama appointed federal judge and you can invalidate just about any environmental impact study, no matter how carefully and painstakingly done. |
Posted by: Steve White 2009-04-19 16:38 |
#5 There is one thing that will bring this corrupt system to its knees, and that is high fuel prices. When people get hammered and cannot provide for their families, DHS better write a memo about 200 million enemies. We've already had high fuel prices, remember 12 months ago? Some economists have been saying this sustained period of high fuel prices, rather than the housing bubble, were actually the trigger for the current economic crisis. The corruption in the system is already bringing the US to its knees. Our legislators have abdicated their responsibility, which is to study, write, read and pass legislation to deal with issues of the day. All they actually do is pass legislation they have not studied, written or read. Remember the federal appeals court is interpreting the law as requiring a "proper" study of environmental impact. Congress can change that law whenever it suits that august [spit] institution. |
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-04-19 13:24 |
#4 Beginning to figure out where all these small amount donations to Obama campaign came from? |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-04-19 03:23 |
#3 This is a blow to Alaska and the rest of the country. When the Alaska pipeline gets down below 400K bbl/day, they will shut it down. Threatening coal fired plants, shutting down any new oilfields offshore. The Big O administration is systematically destroying this country. It will take 25 to 30 years to change out of oil. In the meantime, we need oil to fuel the transition. My older son was over in Norway a few weeks ago as a representative of NW Alaska govt to examine how the Norwegians handled their offshore drilling and how they safeguarded the environment. Now ANY environmental wacko group and shop for some federal judges and shut down the effort. It does not matter how much you do or study the issue. There will ALWAYS be something more. There is one thing that will bring this corrupt system to its knees, and that is high fuel prices. When people get hammered and cannot provide for their families, DHS better write a memo about 200 million enemies. Morons. This is what we all get when liberal guilt elects a president. And I put an almost equal culpability on the Republicans, who slopped at the public trough when they should have been responsible. A pox, a 4 Horseman pox on all their houses. /fury for now. |
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2009-04-19 03:02 |
#2 They kill and eat whales, big fluffy whales ... |
Posted by: Steve White 2009-04-19 02:46 |
#1 where a tribe lives off the wildlife on the Chukchi Sea coast Which is a nice way of saying they kill wildlife. |
Posted by: Phil_B 2009-04-19 02:23 |