Shallow-water drilling permit ban should be lifted, Southern and Alaskan senators say

[ZombieHorde]

By Richard Rainey, The Times-Picayune
May 22, 2010, 1:01PM

Senators from Alaska and four states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are urging the White House to lift its moratorium on new oil drilling permits for rigs placed in shallow water.

In a letter sent Friday to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and President Obama, the delegation said $135 million stands to be lost in oil revenue should the ban continue to include 57 shallow-water drilling platforms.

"We are advised that if the moratorium is not soon lifted for these shallow-water operations, as many as 50 of those rigs within the next six weeks will be unable to work and at least 5,000 jobs from the rigs alone will be lost in the Gulf Coast region," the letter stated.

The Obama administration banned the issuing of all new drilling permits in the aftermath of the massive oil spill that is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico after a BP-leased rig exploded April 20 80 miles from Louisiana's coast.

-a little more at link-

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/alaskan_and_southern_senators.html

[Blue_In_AK]

1. We are sickened that Mark Begich is taking this stand.

Shannyn Moore read him the riot act on her radio show Thursday. There needs to be a moratorium on ALL offshore drilling, IMO.

[msongs]

2. Gulf states are being given FREE OIL without ANY drilling...what more do they want? nt