Several House and Senate Democrats rolled out legislation Wednesday that bars new offshore oil exploration until the federal investigation into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is complete and a report identifying ways to prevent future accidents is issued.
The legislation – led by two Florida lawmakers – is the latest political attack on offshore drilling following the spill caused by the April 20 explosion of a deepwater rig leased by oil giant BP.
“The long-term impact of this spill and potentially others on Florida could be absolutely devastating. An immediate moratorium is the only way to go,” said Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.).
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, along with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Rep Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) is a House co-sponsor, and other House members will back the bill by day’s end, an aide to Meek said.
The bill would specifically halt any new exploration, development and production in federal waters, including seismic tests.
Also, it says that exploration already underway should be suspended unless the Interior Department certifies that it doesn’t pose a “significant risk” if accident. Nelson’s office emphasized that the measure would not block current oil production.
The measure also suspends work on the Obama administration plan to open new areas for development in the 2012-2017 period.
The administration in late March announced plans for leasing in areas along the Atlantic Coast, which until 2008 was under a drilling moratorium, and wider leasing in Arctic waters.
As part of the plan, the administration is calling on Congress to shrink the no-drilling buffer in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, although it would keep rigs 125 miles from Florida’s Gulf shores.
President Barack Obama last week said that new offshore leases would not be issued until the Interior Department had conducted a 30-day review of new safeguards that may be needed. However, no lease sales are scheduled within that time frame anyway.
Interior also dispatched inspectors to deepwater exploration and production platforms after the spill.
Longer term, administration officials have acknowledged that the Gulf disaster will factor into their decision-making as they craft the specifics of the plan to expand leasing into new areas.
Posted By: Kendrick Meek
Thursday, May 6th 2010 at 3:12PM
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