US Is Toughening Scrutiny of Deepwater Drilling

WASHINGTON (Aug. 16) -- The government said Monday it is toughening environmental reviews for all new deepwater oil drilling, ending an easy path to oil riches that allowed BP to drill its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico with little federal scrutiny. The step is meant to help redress a history of lax oversight leading up to the April 20 explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Some 206 million gallons spilled into the Gulf before BP stopped the leak at the Macondo well. A report by the White House Council on Environmental Quality found that decades-old data provided the basis for exempting BP's drilling permits from any extensive environmental review. Now the Interior Department is banning such "categorical exclusions" for deepwater drilling reviews, at least until it investigates how the exemptions are granted. "Our decision-making must be fully informed by an understanding of the potential environmental consequences of federal actions permitting offshore oil and gas development," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.

Source

This to me makes it sound like they are trying to hide something.

[edit on 17-8-2010 by -Blackout-]

n/m

[edit on 17-8-2010 by -Blackout-]

Regulating Deepwater Drilling?
Why that's best idea since deepwater drilling.

This is all good, and I see a small piece of evidence that there could be an exodus of deep water drilling in US waters.

Experts have stated that the world does not have the technology to contain the pressures of deep wells- as of yet.

Link to article (not a pic) cause I duno how



[edit on 17-8-2010 by Tribble]