Judge Tells Government to Resume Permits for Drilling

[Judi Lynn]

Source: New York Times

Judge Tells Government to Resume Permits for Drilling
By JOHN M. BRODER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Published: February 17, 2011

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in New Orleans on Thursday ordered the Obama administration to move quickly on permits for new deepwater oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico, saying that the government could no longer justify long delays in allowing new projects to go forward.

Judge Martin Feldman, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, said that the Interior Department was required to act on drilling applications “within a reasonable time.”

“Not acting at all is not a lawful option,” Judge Feldman wrote, adding that the delays are “increasingly inexcusable” and were causing drilling companies to relocate their rigs to foreign waters.

The interior secretary, Ken Salazar, imposed a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the gulf immediately after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in April, which killed 11 workers and spilled nearly five million barrels of oil into the ocean. Judge Feldman declared the drilling ban illegal in June, but Mr. Salazar modified it slightly, and it remained in place until the department lifted it in October.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/business/energy-environment/18oil.html

[martymar64]

1. Feldman is as corrupt as scalia and thomas, fuck him

[Le Taz Hot]

2. Reagan appointee.

Reagan -- the gift that keeps on giving.

[MBS]

4. yup.

Too many voters (not DUers, but the average voter) forget what a profound difference the occupant of the White House makes to the judiciary. Too many Republicans appointing too many right-wing judges for too long. Yup, the unfortunate gift that unfortunately keeps on giving.

[rucky]

3. What right do they have?

I'm asking this literally. What rights of business have been violated? The right to drill on public land?

[nykym]

5. Fine

We just need you to file form so and so then provide a 3,000 page document explaining how you will take care of a spill put up a 25 million bond, promise us your first born then maybe we will look at your permit request.