LAT: Obama to announce drilling tomorrow

[Nikki Stone1]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-drilling31-2010mar31,0,4617559.story?track=rss

Obama to unveil offshore drilling plans for oil, natural gas

The proposal through 2017 will open new areas of the mid-Atlantic region, Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Mexico for production but prohibit moves off California, Oregon and Washington.

Reporting from Washington - President Obama will announce new plans to drill for oil and natural gas off America's coasts Wednesday but will rule out drilling off California, Oregon and Washington state through 2017, administration officials say.

Obama's plans will include opening new areas of coastal Virginia and other parts of the mid-Atlantic region, Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Mexico for drilling. But officials say the president will block drilling in Alaska's Bristol Bay, where Bush administration drilling plans in 2007 angered environmentalists.

According to administration officials, the plan would:

* Eventually open two-thirds of the eastern Gulf's oil and gas resources for drilling.

* Proceed with drilling off Virginia, provided the project clears environmental and military reviews.

* Expand drilling off the mid- and south-Atlantic coasts.

* Study the viability of drilling in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas -- areas hotly defended by environmentalists -- but issue no new drilling leases in either sea before 2013.

The eastern Gulf of Mexico leases hinge on Congress lifting a moratorium on drilling there. Even if that happens, administration officials said Obama's plan included no drilling within 125 miles of the Florida coastline.....

[jtrockville]

1. Drill baby drill?

[ChicagoSuz219]

3. It'll be interesting to hear Sarah's take on this. n/t

[glinda]

2. So when is the green jobs thing going to happen Obama?

[Nikki Stone1]

10. Maybe at nuclear power plants?

?

[Echo In Light]

11. Zing

[lpbk2713]

4. This should be interesting.

When BigHead Jeb was Gov the Florida rethuglicans wanted offshore drilling.
But now that Obama approves of it I expect a 180° turnaround.

[Nikki Stone1]

5. Well, we'll find out this week.

:)

[Greyhound]

6. Through the fucking looking-glass. n/t

[Lord Helmet]

7. here kitty kitty nt

[Nikki Stone1]

9. ?

?

[GreenTea]

8. In mostly republican states-Republicans want fucking drilling Obama' going to give it to the fuckers

I certainly don't want to see drilling in California or many other places like ANWR and I won't under Obama...

However, Obama's is shoving the off-shore oil drilling right down the republicans loud mouth demanding throats off-shore in mostly republicans states also republican Alaska will see some drilling - but Obama will NOT touch nor has no plans to drill in The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)!

Obama knows exactly what he's doing on this one.

[GreenTea]

18. Dupe.

[Xenotime]

19. Agreed. The rethugs are going to choke on their fucking careers and give us more seats in the end.

[izzybeans]

12. It looks like most of the plan suggests studying the matter.

and bars drilling in Bristol Bay.

It's not quite how it was described on the news this morning. It looks like this is going to open up a big public discussion on the topic though, with several years to for environmentalists to fight anything that may actually happen. Should be an interesting fight.

[Nikki Stone1]

13. NPR said pretty much that. I wonder if any of this is fast tracked though.

Will wait to hear details.

[izzybeans]

14. I certainly hope not.

I think it will be a great opportunity for a thorough and open debate, if these timelines are true. Off shore drilling has been off the radar for a lot of people, so I wonder where this will go.

[Nikki Stone1]

16. From everything I have read, there's not enough oil offshore to really make this worthwhile

So this may involve the government (our taxes) giving money to oil companies to do this drilling. Another siphon? I hope not but I'd put my paycheck on it, considering how everything has been going.

[izzybeans]

17. I agree.

Though my naive side is hoping that its a situation like I sometimes have at my work - a large scale study is required to point out the obvious for some of my superiors.

[Nikki Stone1]

20. Well, the November elections are coming

The oil money has to go to some party

[Boxcar Johnson]

15. Ack

That's terrible.