US has approved 19 environmental drilling waivers since oil spill

US has approved 19 environmental drilling waivers since oil spill

rawstory.com

On May 14, President Barack Obama announced that oil companies would no longer be given license to bypass environmental reviews of their drilling projects.

“We’re also closing the loophole that has allowed some oil companies to bypass some critical environmental reviews,” Obama said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

But in the month since the BP-run Deepwater Horizon (above right) exploded and collapsed into the sea, its drill site spewing an unending current of oil into the open ocean, the US government has granted at least 19 environmental waivers for gulf drilling projects and 17 drilling permits. Most are for deepwater drilling operations, similar to that conducted by the ill-fated rig.

"At least six of the drilling projects that have been given waivers in the past four weeks are for waters that are deeper — and therefore more difficult and dangerous — than where Deepwater Horizon was operating," the New York Times' Ian Urbina wrote Monday. "While that rig, which was drilling at a depth just shy of 5,000 feet, was classified as a deep-water operation, many of the wells in the six projects are classified as “ultra” deep water, including four new wells at over 9,100 feet."

"In explaining why they were still granting new permits for certain types of drilling on existing wells, Department of the Interior officials said some of the procedures being allowed are necessary for the safety of the existing wellbore," Urbina added.

MMS (the regulatory agency in charge of overlooking permitting oil companies to drill off shore) is completely useless!

How can Obama keep saying that they're doing everything in their power to overhaul MMS and put more strict regulations on off shore drilling when in reality they're doing the exact opposite? They've been saying they're doing everything to stop the problem... and now they're continuing more people to do off shore drilling in spite of all of this?

This administration is a total joke.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

S & F

This administration is a total joke.

ALL US administrations since AT LEAST 1948 (instigation of the affair known as 'israel') have been a total joke !


Time the running of the US was handed to maybe the puppet government of Fiji, perhaps ? Or Tonga ? Or Disneyland ? They could only be an improvement

reply to post by Dock9


Why 1948? It's obvious governments were corrupt before then. I would say that they've all been corrupt since 1913. That's when Woodrow Wilson signed the federal reserve act and gave away the government to wall street

I just can't believe the Obama administration anymore. This news is disturbing.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
How can Obama keep saying that they're doing everything in their power to overhaul MMS and put more strict regulations on off shore drilling when in reality they're doing the exact opposite?

This is my biggest disappointment in him yet. The oil disaster. He's losing ALL credibility here.

The U.S economy needs oil, and it needs it bad (more than probably even fish!). This is fact, and will remain so as long as the U.S imports 48 percent of its oil. www.eia.doe.gov...
The recession might be bad, alternative technology might be avilable, but the reality is its better to have oil made at home, than imported from abroad.

But Obama should have had the political guts to retracted saying he would resume allowing safety violations, and explain why. Had he been honest 9 and then listening) he would have gained public respect. "All" he'd have to do is: support turning, public concerns, into law.
Then again, if the media won't remind us what has say, then perhaps he could just be honest and not have to do anything? Anyway...

The main problem behind the oil disaster is not: Oil (or oil drilling, per say) but a reckless U.S safety culture. The U.S legal system, has allowed BP to operate in ways, that it is legally prohibited from doing of the North Sea royaldutchshellplc.com...
Although (in reality) BP hasen't been meeeting English safety standards either...
www.guardian.co.uk...

Would the oil reserves really be moving somewhere abroad (say where oil was cheaper to extract!) if Congress defied BP lobbying, and just improved national, safety standards?
I think the oil would stay where it is, until such time as the price makes sence for it to extract (which no dount it already was!!!)

Also BP aware of rig's safety problems = (to my mind) "should now be owned by U.S taxpayers"
www.guardian.co.uk...

[edit on 090705 by Liberal1984]

reply to post by Frankidealist35

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
How can Obama keep saying that they're doing everything in their power to overhaul MMS and put more strict regulations on off shore drilling when in reality they're doing the exact opposite? They've been saying they're doing everything to stop the problem... and now they're continuing more people to do off shore drilling in spite of all of this?

This administration is a total joke.

He thinks you wont notice....

And why not? That strategy has worked for him on other issues from the beginning.

See also: These outrages...

[edit on 25-5-2010 by loam]