Even while BP's Deepwater Horizon well continues to fill the Gulf of Mexico with oil, and with no plan to stem the black tide, the Obama administration issued a new offshore drilling permit Wednesday to Bandon Oil and Gas for a well about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana 115 feet below the ocean's surface.Apparently that moratorium only applies to offshore drilling in water deeper than 500 feet.
In the days after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig (now SIX weeks ago) most of us didn't notice that while the MMS extended the moratorium on deepwater drilling, it allowed the moratorium on shallow water drilling to expire.
Apparently MMS plans to require operators of wells, even those like the Deepwater Horizon which are already enjoying categorical exclusions, to submit additional information about risks before being allowed to drill new wells.
Why do I feel like this is meaningless lip-service?
There are about 5000 offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. There is no doubt that this will happen again, if not in the Gulf, then in the Arctic. Besides that, we still don't know if/when this disaster will be stopped! Oil could gush from this well for years to come, spread to the Atlantic, and effect coastlines all over the world.
(Oh yeah, have we talked about mountaintop removal coal mining lately?)
When will the American people stand up and demand an end to our fossil fuel addiction?
It's time for an intervention.
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Judson Brehmer is the project manager of the Red Lodge Clearinghouse, a forum for citizen participation in natural resources policy. He holds a J.D. and a Certificate in Environmental Law from the University of Oregon and is a research faculty member with the Natural Resources Law Center at the University of Colorado Law School.
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It's nice to see public outcry over the oil spill, but expiration dates seem to have a way of passing by unnoticed. Think of the yogurt in the fridge! People will pay even more attention to oil drilling policies and the unintended consequences of drilling once the consumption of fossil fuels feels more like a privilege than a right. Having a right to use oil tends to rationalize mishaps, and keep policy on the table that permits the possibility of future catastrophes. The expiration of the ban is the reinstatement of such a policy; it's just a matter of time until the next accident occurs. I wonder if there would be more concern if the well was in 500 ft of water near LA or DC? In the spirit of reducing dependence on foreign oil, how about 5000 more wells up and down the Eastern seaboard (granted there was anything to drill for)?
ReplyDeleteAs far as consumption rates go, I think well-meaning people are often stymied by our infrastructure, which encourages high levels of personal consumption ... it'd be nice to hear more politicians pushing for things like light rail or free, efficient public transportation ... anything to enable individuals to have more say in their consumption habits.