The U.S. Department of the Interior announced a new moratorium on deep-water offshore oil drilling on Monday, three weeks after a New Orleans federal judge rejected the first ban.
The Obama administration suspended oil and gas drilling in waters deeper than 500 feet after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which began on April 22 and has not yet been contained.
U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman rejected on June 22 the six-month ban, claiming it was too broad. However, the administration has now decided to introduce a new moratorium, based on new evidence about drilling safety.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the announcement on Monday, arguing that a break is needed to ensure that oil and gas companies implement safety measures, reduce risks and are prepared to handle spills.
"I am basing my decision on evidence that grows every day of the industry's inability in the deep water to contain a catastrophic blowout, respond to an oil spill and to operate safely," Salazar said.
During the moratorium the Obama administration is expected to develop more effective methods of preventing and dealing with oil spills and complete a report on the causes of the BP spill.
According to an Interior Department press release, the moratorium will last until November 30, 2010, "or until such earlier time that the Secretary determines that deep water drilling operations can proceed safely."
Catherine Wannamaker, a lawyer for several environmental groups that support the moratorium, said the new one doesn't appear to be any less restrictive than the first one.
"We continue to believe it's a necessary safety precaution," she said. "The first moratorium was a rational decision made by (Salazar) and should have withstood judicial scrutiny. The new moratorium makes (his) reasoning more explicit and is a step in the right direction."
MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti)
