White House Bans Offshore Oil Drilling for Seven Years

[sabrina 1]

Some more good news today.

No Offshore Drilling For Seven Years

The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it would not propose any new oil drilling in waters off the East Coast of the United States for at least the next seven years.

This announcement is a complete reversal of an earlier plan revealed just weeks before the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The March 2010 plan would have authorized officials to explore potential for drilling from Delaware to central Florida, plus the northern waters of Alaska, according to MPR News.

......

Since the BP oil spill, residents and politicians in Gulf Coast states, as well as environmental protection organizations, have been begging the Federal Government to reconsider its plans to pursue expanded offshore drilling.

Never give up. Although this is really great news, it doesn't stop the drilling in Alaska.

The seven year ban does not affect oil company plans to drill in Alaska's delicate Beaufort and Chukchi seas despite the fact that there is currently no technology available to clean up a catastrophic oil spill in the icy Alaskan waters.

edited to add some more information on how this came about:

Obama Administration: No Offshore Drilling In Eastern Gulf Of Mexico Or East Coast For Seven Years Because Of BP Oil Spill

The administration had backed a major expansion of offshore drilling earlier this year, in part to gain support for comprehensive climate legislation in Congress, one of President Barack Obama's top legislative goals.

With that bill now off the table, the president stands much to gain politically by saying no to powerful oil interests, particularly in Florida, which is expected to be a crucial swing state in the 2012 election campaign.

It seems the President expected support for his environmental legislation if he allowed drilling. I now believe he realizes that was a mistake and that he was badly advised when told that oil rigs were a lot safer today than when the ban was put in place. Good for him for recognizing that and doing the right thing.

The fight will go on to protect the environment. However, this IS a huge victory and definitely something to celebrate, as the article says.

[rocktivity]

1. Another deal?

But I'm not complaining THAT much...

:headbang:
rocktivity

[sabrina 1]

3. I was surprised to read this, because the last I heard they

were not going to stop drilling despite the BP oil spill. But, to answer your question about a 'deal', apparently there WAS a deal earlier in the year, or hopes of a deal, which is why the President reversed his position on Offshore drilling in the campaign.

He agreed to it, in return for possible cooperation on his environmental legislation.

Obama Administration: No Offshore Drilling In Eastern Gulf Of Mexico Or East Coast For Seven Years Because Of BP Oil Spill

The administration had backed a major expansion of offshore drilling earlier this year, in part to gain support for comprehensive climate legislation in Congress, one of President Barack Obama's top legislative goals.

With that bill now off the table, the president stands much to gain politically by saying no to powerful oil interests, particularly in Florida, which is expected to be a crucial swing state in the 2012 election campaign.

I guess any deal was off so the White House saw nothing to gain anymore from allowing any more drilling.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. Windmills!

[EFerrari]

4. It's good to see this. I'll take it!

:hi:

[sabrina 1]

5. Me too. It was a very nice surprise as I thought

the Oil guys had won, despite the disaster in the Gulf :-)

[bbinacan]

6. Add a dollar plus to a gallon of gas

I'm willing to pay it.

[sabrina 1]

7. I noticed that gas prices had gone up here in Ojai, Ca. But

I don't know if this is the reason. Anyhow, as you say, it is worth it. Although I don't see why it is necessary.

[LawnKorn]

17. The price of fossil fuels needs to go much higher

Consumers of fossil fuels are only paying the cost of production, and are escaping the cost of the carbon pollution being spewed into the atmosphere. President Obama should do everything he can to raise prices to combat greenhouse gases. Since the Republicans have roadblocked the Cap and Trade legislation, the President should ban as much drilling as possible and raise taxes on current sales.

The increased price of fossil fuel will reduce consumption and slow the increase of CO2 in the air. The money from higher taxes should be used to develop clean, renewable energy sources and put Americans back to work.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Drilling in the waters off Alaska's north coast is extremely risky,

in my opinion. What happens if there is a spill under the ice? Thats an extraordinarily delicate ecosystem up there, and the nearest Coast Guard station is in Kodiak, about 1,000 miles away. How do they plan to clean up a spill when it happens?

I'm not for offshore drilling ANYWHERE, but drilling in the arctic is sheer foolishness.

[sabrina 1]

10. I agree. It will take a lot of pressure to

end drilling in Alaska. What is the position of the Alaska politicians? Is Murkowski in favor of it? She seems a bit more reasonable than the average Republican.

These oil companies, many of the foreign, have managed to get far too much power in this country. But if ever there was a time to fight for ending it, it is now while the disaster in the Gulf is still fresh in people's minds.

[InkAddict]

9. Seven years or until the next admin rescinds the ban?????

[chill_wind]

11. Wow! I'm rubbing my eyes to see if I'm reading this right. K& R.

[Ineeda]

12. K&R This is big news...

I wonder why so little press on this. :sarcasm: (Not much recognition here on DU either.) This resident of the Gulf Coast and resident of planet Earth thanks President Obama.

[eomer]

13. The headline is totally misleading. Untrue, in fact.

I know it's not your headline, but perhaps you should have fixed it anyway since you're allowed to in General Discussion.

"White House Bans Offshore Oil Drilling for Seven Years"

Offshore oil drilling has not been banned. Rather, the existing ban on expansion of offshore drilling to the East Coast has been continued.

[sabrina 1]

14. I see your point, But the ban was lifted

earlier this year. Had it not been for the BP oil spill, and it looks like whatever deal the WH expected to make with Republicans, is off, that ban probably would have stayed in place. As the HuffPo piece says, there was no political advantage to the WH to stand by the lifting of the ban.

Granted it should never have been lifted. But I think the headline is fairly accurated considering the fact that it was. It's possible I'm missing your point, and if so, my apologies.

[eomer]

20. My main point (which I don't think I conveyed very well) is that not *all* offshore drilling

is banned, which the headline says literally. Only the new expansion into the East Coast and somewhere new in Alaska is banned.

In the Gulf drilling will be permitted in all the areas where it has ever been permitted. Drilling there is not banned (contrary to the literal meaning of the headline).

Anyway, thanks for being gracious with my quibble.

Cheers!

[sabrina 1]

21. Okay, I see what you mean. True, the article does say

that the drilling that has been going on, will continue. What the headline probably should have tried to make clear was that all NEW drilling, permitted when the President lifted the ban earlier this year, will no longer be permitted.

I think the writer of the headline made the assumption that people would understand it is a reversal of Obama's position on new drilling earlier this year. Which is good news, inmo. I hope he learned to listen to environmentalists next time, not to people who have a vested interest in drilling. His statement that his advisers had told him that 'things have progressed since the ban was imposed' and that 'now, rigs are safer than ever from having accidents'. That turned out to be tragically false. But clearly he was getting advice from people whose interests were money. That is what he revealed by making that statement. Three weeks later, the tragedy in the Gulf happened.

It was very bad news when the president made that announcement. And just recently I believe I read that they were going to go ahead with that decision. So, little as it is in the scheme of things, it is still good news that he has reversed that awful decision.

Thanks for the clarification btw :-)

[ItNerd4life]

15. So every other country can still drill and destroy the environment?

and this is good news how? I would much rather have the U.S. drill with it's environmental laws than have China drill which doesn't have any environmental laws.
I guess people only care about the environment within the U.S. but to hell with the environment in the rest of the world.

[sabrina 1]

16. No, I don't think environmentalists only worry about the U.S.

But how can we stop China or anyone else from drilling? And just because they are not ready to do so, should we keep drilling? And what standards do we have that are so great? Didn't we just see that whatever standards there are, Oil Corps appear to be able to get around them.

Not to mention the fact that we certainly can't go around asking other countries to stop drilling if we continue to do it, can we?

[Phlunk]

18. I'm all for banning the drilling.........

But doesn't this just stop the US companies from drilling? Foreign companies can still drill further out from the coast past our "economic zone". It seems like this rule would simply hurt the US companies and leave the oil for foreign companies. Am I wrong?

[sabrina 1]

22. I can't answer that question, maybe someone else can?

[lonestarnot]

19. Excellent, now that everything is already dead, giving it 7 years to come back from the dead.

[Major Hogwash]

23. It's a conspiracy so Hillary can run for President in 2016 to renew this ban!!

A dog named Ralph, who was smoking a cigar, told me about this last week.

[suffragette]

24. Good news, indeed

K&R