US has approved 19 environmental drilling waivers since oil spill

Despite Moratorium, Drilling Projects Move Ahead

WASHINGTON — In the days since President Obama announced a moratorium on permits for drilling new offshore oil wells and a halt to a controversial type of environmental waiver that was given to the Deepwater Horizon rig, at least seven new permits for various types of drilling and five environmental waivers have been granted, according to records.

The records also indicate that since the April 20 explosion on the rig, federal regulators have granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and at least 17 drilling permits, most of which were for types of work like that on the Deepwater Horizon shortly before it exploded, pouring a ceaseless current of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Asked about the permits and waivers, officials at the Department of the Interior and the Minerals Management Service, which regulates drilling, pointed to public statements by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, reiterating that the agency had no intention of stopping all new oil and gas production in the gulf.

NY Times Story
Second Story

BP has already blatantly lied about being able to control a worst case scenario. BP Lies

On May 14, President Barack Obama announced that oil companies would no longer be given license to bypass environmental reviews of their drilling projects. Yet more are still being issued?
I understand that there is no way possible for the world, much less the US, Canada and UK to stop needing and using oil immediately. I understand we have to keep looking for it and removing it from the earth.
But we can not do it in a way that is going to cause more threat to the earth.

We need to just briefly stop. Step back and look at what is going on and happening. Then try to come up with a way to make this safer before continuing. Not plunge ahead with even more risky operations than we already have.
Just who is in who's pocket here?


[edit on 24-5-2010 by webpirate]

The ropes have broken the nets have fallin the audence would like nothing less then to see blood fly.
The tent is burning and it realy has become a 3 ring circus.
But the show must go on and on and on.
soon now will be the last curtain calls you can almost hear them through the noise even now. step right up to the greatest show humanity has ever produced.
see it now before its going forever

This just Burns me up!!!!! I swear its totally obvious who runs our government, the companies! I just can't see a remedy anymore when all common sense has been totally lost. Its a sham...e we have no ability to stop the government sanctioned destruction of our environment.

reply to post by ISHAMAGI


Yeah. It surprises me, but then again. It doesn't....
Should have seen it coming though.