Judge Denies Obama Administration's Request For Stay On Deepwater Drilling Moratorium, Another Attempt Coming

The Obama administration was dealt a minor setback on Thursday when a local judge denied its attempts to legally continue a moratorium on deepwater drilling as the issue continues to be litigated in court.

The same judge who ruled this week that the administration's temporary ban was illegal denied the Justice Department's attempt for a "stay" on the ban Thursday morning.

The administration had hoped that by upholding a stay, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman would have given it time to re-craft the language of the moratorium, which Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has pledged to do. With the stay request denied, those 33 deepwater wells that had put a stop to their operations can now legally begin drilling again.

Earlier on Thursday, the Justice Department relayed that Salazar had instructed all employees to not take any action to enforce the moratorium.

That said, don't expect deepwater drilling activity to start up in haste. An administration official tells the Huffington Post that they will be requesting another stay from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals -- the same court where the Department of Justice has appealed the initial ruling on the moratorium.

Comments

[Lee Hartgrave]

06:10 PM on 06/30/2010

Yes, I'm serious.

[Lee Hartgrave]

03:29 PM on 06/28/2010

That would be my preference. To Drill on Land. Best, however is stop drilling everywhere. - Lee Hartgrave www.beyondchron.org.

[mrJJ]

11:01 PM on 06/27/2010

Source: Reuters

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss., June 27 (Reuters) - Large patches of thick oil from the BP Plc Gulf of Mexico spill washed ashore for the first time in Mississippi on Sunday and residents were outraged that authorities did not clean it up.

Hundreds watched as gluey gobs of brown oil and rainbow oil sheen sloshed onto tourist beaches at Ocean Springs, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) east of Biloxi, and at a beach used by fisherman that is close to an inland marsh.

"This might be the last time we are able to come to the beach. What makes us so mad about all of this is that it could have been avoided. All of it," said James Vogeney, 56, who grew up in Ocean Springs.

"Life as I know it is over. What are we going to do if nobody cares to act fast enough," said Mike Hollings, a local resident who cried as he stared at the oil on the beach.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100628/us_nm/us_oil_spill_mississippi

Gulf Coast Governors Leaving National Guard Idle

As of today, the federal government has authorized a total of 17,500 National Guard troops across four Gulf states, all to be paid for by BP.

Louisiana's has deployed 1,053 troops of 6,000

Alabama has deployed 432 troops of 3,000 available.

Florida deployed has 97 troops out of 2,500 -

Mississippi has deployed 58 troops out of 6,000

[emma richmond]

10:37 PM on 06/27/2010

We'r from Louisiana we are glad the President called for a Moratorium on those 33 Oil Rig (6) mos. is not much to ask for when it come down to the Safety of the People everyone should want a safe Work Environment, there are 11 Bodies somewhere at the Bottom of the Ocean, you people speak lightly of someone else Pain and Suffering, no matter what the President do you people are like mad dogs enought is never enought. We are glad that Judge is being investigated, he own stocks on the 33 rigs to be inspected, and we just found out the day he blocked the Moratorium is the same day he sold his exon Stocks, Plus this is Cheney Friend we all know Cheney own Halliburton and stocks, Plus the Whisle-Blower said there are two more Well out there in worse shape then the one that just blowed up, BP and Transocean knew that there was a leak, but kept working. One thing we did find out Friday that Martin Feldman also is Antonia Scalia-Supreme Court Judge and Cheney Hunting Buddy. The reason Martin Feldman took this case is becasue it would give him Jurisdiction over CA, Deep Sea Drilling, now who would want a Judge from Louisiana the Most Corrupt State, Fact Check. Jindal file a law suited against the Federal Government, in Order to get the 20 Billions Dollars to Funnel it back to the Oil Companies, this is why the Republicans are angry.

[mrJJ]

08:24 PM on 06/26/2010

An Interesting Read:

Case for Impeachment of Judge Martin Feldman Strengthened by New Details on Oil Firm Holdings

New evidence reveals willful failure to recuse from oil drilling moratorium case despite full knowledge of conflicts-of-interest

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7915

[Chucktheman]

12:22 AM on 06/26/2010

My President needs to grow a set. He needs to use marshall law by declaring a state of emergency in the gulf and assigning the gulf to the Coast Guard Here is a great video about the Gulf and a bit about other important topics Its pretty cool and most should like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deXM69SjzQ4

[liberalOrgonian]

06:17 PM on 06/25/2010

What will happen if any "new drilling" of wells blow out like deep water Horizon? We do NOT have the resources or technology to stop it or clean it up. Does Jindal really want more oil on his and neighboring states shores? He and the judge who disregarded a moratorium will be blamed for the next "accident".
Seems Gov Jindal should be more worried about the health risk this blow out has caused.
The insanity to want more is frightening.

[liberalOrgonian]

04:55 PM on 06/25/2010

So when the next blow out happens, we can blame the judge and the politicians who are screaming for more oil drilling. Like the 1300 wells drilled already aren't enough. Gov Bobby Jendal better put some state money away to clean up the next blow, because HE will be held responsible this time.
Drill baby drill, spill baby spill, kill baby kill.

[research]

03:32 PM on 06/25/2010

TOUGH!

Declare a national state of Emergency, IT IS.

Just use a signing order.

[sdmills27]

03:23 PM on 06/25/2010

Democrats are upset that the Republicans blocked unemployment benefits, but want to put thousands more out of work with a moratorium.

[yathink]

04:00 PM on 06/25/2010

Only 33 exploratory wells are included in the moratorium. That's not thousands of jobs, it's only for 6 months (unfortunately), and BP will pay for the missed wages. What planet do you live on? Foxium?

[wyoroughneck]

09:30 PM on 06/25/2010

Only 33 wells, only 33 rigs, only 120 or so employed on each rig. Do the math- only 3960 persons now unemployed. I do believe that is THOUSANDS of people. Oh well, it's only for 6 months. How about we find some accident involving your line of work, that through now fault of your own, only working in the same industry, means you are out of work for six months?
For crying out loud, after Chernobyl or Three Mile Island we didn't close every single nuclear power plant. Better yet, after terrorists hijack airliners and bring us 9-11 let us avoid terrorism by shutting down all airlines. After all, if it can happen to United or American Airlines it can happen to any airline. And while we are at it, lets make UA and AA pay for the loss of work in an industry shut down by government decree. After all it is their fault it happened and by extension it is their duty to pay the employees of others put out of business to be sure it doesn't happen again.
The reality of all this is- we wouldn't be seeking oil in deep waters pushing limits of our technology if so many promising shallow waters had not been made off limits (see ANWR).

[sdmills27]

10:18 PM on 06/25/2010

You're an idiot. If you talk about just the people who man these rigs, you are talking about 9000 jobs or so. Then factor in the people who support those crewman, and the people who sell that oil you can easily get into the tens of thousands.

[areachanging]

05:37 PM on 06/25/2010

I wonder if the Chinese People thought the same way when toys containing lead caused the closing of some factories?

Same logic... or illogic.

[bmike]

02:47 PM on 06/25/2010

mother nature will be having a say on this

[take10]

08:15 PM on 06/25/2010

Sooner than expected! Mean while, Judge Feldman, Bobby Jindal bells, Haley Barbour and Joe Barton will be on BP COE's mega yacht sipping Cognac and smoking Cuban cigars until the storm has passed...

[mrJJ]

02:36 PM on 06/25/2010

Latest forecast for tropical cyclone activity in the GOM has jumped to 80%...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml

[areachanging]

02:20 PM on 06/25/2010

The political right wing's mode of operation:

Disseminate a falsehood.

When called on the dishonest statement, ignore it and tell another lie.

Repeat this over and over and over...

Facts are kryptonite to the political right wing.
Demand facts and they don't respond.

If President Obama had not sought a moratorium, they would have attacked him for that.

[sdmills27]

03:19 PM on 06/25/2010

"Disseminate a falsehood.

When called on the dishonest statement, ignore it and tell another lie.

Repeat this over and over and over..."

----------------------

Maybe they took a plage out of the DNC playbook!

[areachanging]

04:28 PM on 06/25/2010

Any group has undesirable elements; Democrats and the political left included.

But... the difference in the amount and frequency of dishonesty is staggering.

Most "Left Wingers" make a correction if need be.

"Right Wingers," not so much, if at all.

By the way, I am not a Democrat.
I am an independent,
with a lower-case " i. "

[Deus Angelus]

02:06 PM on 06/25/2010

Then its time for Obama to issue an Executive Order and force this thing through, lets see this judges try to circumvent that of a duly elected president.

[Welib]

02:44 PM on 06/25/2010

I wish the he!! he would!

[soitgoes12]

02:06 PM on 06/25/2010

--I am not here to defend the Obama Administration's dealings with Big Oil before, during, or after this tragedy. What I do know is that action should have taken place long before the explosion and spill. The MMS has been shown to be a worthless regulatory agency with corruption pouring out its ears. Secondly, if BP or any other Oil company wants to drill at that depth, they need to be able to show they can cap it quickly before they are allowed to drill. If a relief well is the only viable option, it needs to be standing by at all times, and the oil company must have an extensive plan ready to prevent any oil from reaching the shore.

Finally, Bush and Cheney definitely aren't the only ones with blood on their hands, but they sure do have a lot of it:

Sli.myy doings weren't all at the oil well"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052605925.html?hpid=topnews

"Document Says Oil Chiefs Met With Cheney Task Force"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111501842.html

Analysis: Oil and the Bush cabinet"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1138009.stm

"Blatant Bush Tilt Toward Big Oil"

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0406-01.htm