New ban on deep-water drilling
THE Obama administration yesterday issued a new moratorium on deep-water offshore drilling.
The order no longer bans operators by the depth of water they're operating in and stresses new evidence of safety concerns.
The new ban still targets deep-water drilling operators but defines them in a different way.
"More than 80 days into the BP oil spill, a pause on deep-water drilling is essential and appropriate to protect communities, coasts and wildlife from the risks that deep-water drilling currently pose," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. "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 operate safely."
The original moratorium was blocked last month by US District judge Martin Feldman.
