A Federal judge ruled today against the offshore drilling moratorium, imposed by the Obama administration shortly after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.
The six-month moratorium barred approval of new drilling permits for deepwater drilling and suspended drilling on 33 exploratory wells in the gulf.
In striking down the moratorium, District Judge Feldman said the Interior Department failed to provide adequate reasoning for the six-month ban.
The White House reacted swiftly saying they would be appealing the judge’s ruling.
Meanwhile, there are news reports that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will issue a new order imposing a moratorium on deepwater drilling and additional information will be provided, making clear why the six-month interregnum is necessary.
Salazar has said that there is inadequate safety precautions by the oil industry on deepwater wells.
There are close to 4,000 oil rigs currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
