The April 20 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has prompted the Obama administration to require more routine environmental studies before approving deep-water drilling. Until now, the Department of the Interior frequently granted categorical exclusions, based mostly on rules set up when most drilling was done near-shore. This new ruling will require that each new application for drilling will be scrutinized on an individual basis. The administration had ordered a moratorium on new drilling after the latest disaster, and that is due to expire on November 30, 2010. While that ruling is being challenged in the courts, there is concern that off-shore drilling will simply move to other countries, impacting the economy and jobs in the Gulf even further. There are fears that this newest decision will further delay new drilling contracts, forcing jobs out of the region at an even greater rate.
It seems obvious that steps need to be taken to prevent another disaster like the gulf oil spill.
Many of the problems associated with deep-water drilling were not an issue when most drilling was off-shore, in shallow waters. The new set of challenges that deep-water drilling brings needs to be assessed carefully. The question will be how to reduce the impact of these activities on human life, and the environment while still meeting the burden put on communities that depend on the oil industry for their economic life.
King Jr., Neil and Keith Johnson. “Tightened Security for Offshore Drilling Projects.” The Wall Street Journal. 17 Aug. 2010.
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