Congress, Courts, Politics, Society

Drill, Baby, Drill: Obama’s Deep-Drilling Moratorium Lifted By Federal Court

A New Orleans federal judge lifted the six-month moratorium imposed on deepwater drilling by President Barack Obama after the BP spill. In New Orleans, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman found that the administration had failed to satisfy requirements for notice and comment from industry. The case is Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar, 2:10-cv-01663(E.D. La.).

The ban stopped all drilling deeper than 500 feet on May 27 until the completion of a commission report.

The Louisiana governor is pushing for more drilling as the spill worsens off his coast. However, Feldman was faced with a clear procedural violation and ordered the moratorium lifted. Louisiana officials also argued that the federal government failed to consult with state officials as well as industry.

In granting the injunction, Feldman stated:

“Much to the government’s discomfort and this Court’s uneasiness, the summary also states that ‘the recommendations contained in this report have been peer-reviewed by seven experts identified by the National Academy of Engineering.’ As the plaintiffs, and the experts themselves, pointedly observe, this statement was misleading,”

Feldman has been criticized for ruling on the matter despite his own personal investments in the oil industry.

Obama has only agreed to suspend his lifting of drilling on the Eastern Shore — a move that was denounced by environmentalists before the BP spill.

Source: Bloomberg.

44 thoughts on “Drill, Baby, Drill: Obama’s Deep-Drilling Moratorium Lifted By Federal Court”

  1. Buddha,

    Since the Night Mare Years of Bush and Cheney, exactly what is a conflict of interest? Come on, Cheney started the war to get Saddam because he set Kuwait on fire as he was being thrown out. How many Billions did Haliburton lose? Had to make it up some way.

  2. Byron,

    When dealing with conflict of interest and legal professionals even the appearance of impropriety merits recusal. He should have stepped aside at the start. If the case against the administration had merit, another non-conflicted judge would have ruled the same. However, he didn’t. Now? Feldman really does deserve to be impeached and disbarred.

  4. I loved him in young frankenstein. looks like he got abby normal’s brain.

  5. AY/BUDDHA:

    he sold KBR and only owns a $1,000 of TransOcean. I get it on principle but I don’t think I would sell my soul for a $1,000.

  6. Everything seems either broken, corrupt or both. I am realy depressed. Why can’t the big boys play along with a little hopey changey stuff?

  7. Op-Ed Contributor
    Blow Up the Well to Save the Gulf
    By CHRISTOPHER BROWNFIELD
    Published: June 21, 2010

    TONY HAYWARD, the chief executive of BP, made an astounding admission before Congress last week: after nearly two months of failure, the company and the Coast Guard have no further plans to plug the Macondo oil well leaking into the Gulf. Instead, the goal is merely to contain the leak until a relief well comes online, a process that could take months.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/opinion/22Brownfield.html

    Yeah baby that the way I like to see the capital market place work or is that capitol…..

  10. Please note that one of the companies in question is direct party to the suit against BP, Transocean.

  12. His best defense is that he did not knowingly do what he did. He fergot about the ownership, that Cheney did it as veep, that he was not aware of what he was doing…..

    The problem is that it will probably be upheld in the COA because of the procedural violations…..

  13. Impeachment is the least this moron deserves. If Feldman doesn’t understand ‘Conflict of Interest’ any better than that, he deserves to be disbarred.

  14. This is case in point to why this country will never be great again.. Those in power are so entrenched in commerce there are so many checks in the system so nothing can change, also the ability to learn from a fiasco like this can not happen.. Our government, courts and our corporatocracy are the preverbal rat that can’t stop eating the poison.. If ever was a time to stop and look and learn, it was now!!

  15. If this story proves true then what about misfeasance and take him to the house for impeachment hearings…

  18. eniobob

    Yes.

    The administration has appealled. If the courts take their customary good old time scheduling a hearing on the appeal, the moratorium, the study and stopping the leak will all have been completed for a year.

  20. Is this the court that many of the juges had to recuse themselves,for I think there was an conflict of interest regarding oil companys?

    Just asking.

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