Deepwater Horizon Response photo
Twice now the federal government has defended its six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, and twice federal courts have rejected the ban.
Undaunted, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued a new ban this afternoon. This one's not a blanket moratorioum, but a series of "suspensions."
Secretary Salazar has directed BOEM to direct the suspension of any authorized drilling of wells using subsea or surface BOPs on a floating facility. Secretary Salazar has further directed BOEM to cease the approval of pending and future applications for permits to drill wells using subsea or surface BOPs on a floating facility. These suspensions shall apply in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific regions through November 30, 2010, subject to modification if the Secretary determines that the significant threats to life, property, and the environment set forth in this memorandum have been sufficiently addressed.
Salazar's old rules used depth to define whether drilling was banned -- anything deeper than 500 feet was out. His new rules apply to rigs that float, like the BP's Deepwater Horizon used to do. At least, they apply unless another court throws them out.
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Did those who regulate these rigs honestly believe this could never happen? what better argument is there to accept the reality that fossil fuels have outlived their time, environmentally AND politically?! Seriously, wouldn't it be nice to tell the Middle East they can pound sand before we depend on their resources ever again? Oh, and wish them luck growing their own wheat, corn and cattle...
I don't profess to have the answers for the environmental crisis in the Gulf, but it seems to me that if our president were to call upon our military, national guard and civilian volunteer corps to assist in the cleanup efforts, that it would make an enormous statement about ownership of our own coastal waters. If BP doesn't like it, send em the bill. It's time to own this disaster and step up to the plate!
Keep trying, Salazar. Do we really need more oil floating around the Gulf of Mexico? Or, what about the east and west coasts? How many of these accidents do we need before we wake up and smell the coffee?
Let's face it - the majority of US citizens want to have their cake and eat it too, not to mention an excess of cream cheese icing. We know fossil fuel is destroying the planet, but we're NOT going to give up our sweet little SUV's, or any other piece of the Oh-so-convenient petroleum-based luxuries that we've managed to amass for our lifestyles. Otherwise, we would have been voting with our real conscience all these years.
"Taxes are for little people..." "Well apparently so are contracts." -- Chris Hayes
Unbelievable.
I'm not a fan of Salazar, but that's because he is a hold-over from the Bush administration, and I don't think I trust his loyalty. That said, I see a tremendous need for 'someone' to step up and put a lid on this oil fiasco that is running on it's own desires. It just seems to all be so slow and hampered by 'looking as if' no-one is actually in control.
Obviously, there isn't a great deal that can be done about this oil spill that is going on at the this time except to wait for the relief wells, but to just play judicial parlor games with the rest of the wells, knowing they weren't any better supervised than BP's rigs, just seems reckless and ill addressed. I say, "Get on it, for Goodness Sakes." We can't, emotionally nor economically, bare another one in the near future.
At least it sounds like Salazar has framed this one to meet some of the objections of the judges' rulings. Hopefully this one will stick. I just got back from a training conference that teaches you how to get certified in rehabilitating wildlife removed from the oil spill. These folks say there are far more oil spills than you realize. You just don't hear about them until they're big like this one. They've been responding to oil spills, to recover and rehabilitate wildlife, for a long time. One person was in it for 25 years. You can't even touch one of these animals without a license. Sounds like a ball of red tape, but there are serious diseases you can get from these animals, and you have to know about it. BP might finally stop this oil flowing, but the oil will be affecting this wildlife for decades. I plan to see what I can do to help.
Rachel, this video was shot in a little town called Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada. Please watch it - not even 5 minutes. We would love to see it on your show. Thanks and love ya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZwdGdfgr74
It comes back to the arrogance of those who have ties to big oil getting special treatment, getting away with murder and clamming up when the spotlight gets put on them. Also the self-centered arrogance that is revealed through BP executive's verbal gaffes showing how tone-deaf they really are........................
A parody of Tony Hayward's "sorry" apology...............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNUDesO0j3g
Let's solve this old fashion way and earn our cheap oil by invading Mexico. We can claim the drug lords were acquiring weapons of mass destruction to be used against AZ, the tea party, Rush, Glenn, and the other right wackos.
I"m getting worried, Richard. That makes sense.