Nothing much new or surprising, but thought I'd add this update so we can keep following along...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =130241839 U.S. Sets Tougher Rules For Offshore Drilling
by The Associated Press
September 30, 2010
Under the new rules, operators will be required to comply with tougher requirements for everything from well design and cementing practices to blowout preventers and employee training, Salazar said. They will also need to develop comprehensive plans to manage risks and improve workplace safety, he said.
Salazar has said the new rules must be in place before the Interior Department lifts a ban on deep-water drilling. The ban is set to expire Nov. 30, but officials have said they hope to end it early.
A spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute said the oil industry group will review the rules and offer comments. The API has called for a clear, practical and well-defined review process that will protect the environment and allow drilling to resume. Even after the temporary ban on exploratory drilling is lifted, drilling is unlikely to resume quickly.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
