Washington - A US judge on Tuesday lifted a government moratorium on offshore oil drilling that President Barack Obama put in place in response to the ongoing BP Plc spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Judge Martin Feldman of the US District Court in New Orleans granted a preliminary injunction against the moratorium, finding it overly broad and insufficiently justified.
Originally posted by utherpendragon Washington - A US judge on Tuesday lifted a government moratorium on offshore oil drilling that President Barack Obama put in place in response to the ongoing BP Plc spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Judge Martin Feldman of the US District Court in New Orleans granted a preliminary injunction against the moratorium, finding it overly broad and insufficien ...[text shortened]... ly justified.
Feldman said in his ruling that the administration's review of drilling did not sufficiently prove a need for such a broad moratorium, did not provide a timeline for implementing changes to safety aboard drilling rigs and did not sufficiently clarify what constituted deepwater drilling.
"If some drilling equipment parts are flawed, is it rational to say all are? Are all airplanes a danger because one was? All oil tankers like Exxon Valdez? All trains? All mines? That sort of thinking seems heavy-handed, and rather overbearing," he wrote.
The court found the government had not sufficiently shown the need for "a blanket, generic, indeed punitive, moratorium" rather than one more tailored. Feldman said the companies involved in the suit had shown they were likely to suffer irreparable harm from the decision.
Originally posted by utherpendragon Feldman said in his ruling that the administration's review of drilling did not sufficiently prove a need for such a broad moratorium, did not provide a timeline for implementing changes to safety aboard drilling rigs and did not sufficiently clarify what constituted deepwater drilling.
"If some drilling equipment parts are flawed, is it rational to ...[text shortened]... his.
Since all that says is that the Judge disagrees with the wisdom of an Executive Branch decision in an area squarely within the scope of its legitimate powers during an emergency situation, it clearly is judicial activism at its most stark. If right wingers were consistent they'd be appalled by such a decision.
Originally posted by no1marauder Since all that says is that the Judge disagrees with the wisdom of an Executive Branch decision in an area squarely within the scope of its legitimate powers during an emergency situation, it clearly is judicial activism at its most stark. If right wingers were consistent they'd be appalled by such a decision.
No the judge disagrees w/the lack of wisdom shown by an incompetent president.
Thank goodness for checks and balances!
Originally posted by utherpendragon Feldman said in his ruling that the administration's review of drilling did not sufficiently prove a need for such a broad moratorium, did not provide a timeline for implementing changes to safety aboard drilling rigs and did not sufficiently clarify what constituted deepwater drilling.
"If some drilling equipment parts are flawed, is it rational t ...[text shortened]... his.
Originally posted by spruce112358 On Sept 11, 2001, all airplanes were grounded -- all deemed to be a danger because the extent of the danger was not known.
That sort of thinking is sensible when a disaster of this magnitude occurs.
For as long as those legally charged with protecting the safety of air travellers took to determine what steps were necessary in light of the problem revealed. No judge granted an injunction against them doing so at the time if I recall correctly.
US judge lifts oil drilling moratorium
22 Jun '10 20:12
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