Ralhall, Salazar Find New Ways to Reinstate Moratorium

It’s been nearly a year since the since the federal government responded to the will of the American people and retired its decades-old bans on responsible offshore energy exploration. Unfortunately, one year later, it seems as though that long overdue response was merely a gesture. In fact, not only are we no closer to tapping those “newly available” offshore areas, but the areas with the greatest potential off Alaska’s coast, which were available last year, are now off the table until such time as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar sees fit to complete a court-ordered “sensitivity” analysis of information his department already has.
Meanwhile, as Secretary Salazar continues to slow walk a plan to finally allow Americans to access the vast offshore energy supplies the government’s held hostage for nearly 30 years, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall is holding hearings this week on sweeping legislation designed to add a few more hefty layers of bureaucratic red tape to the federal leasing process, and ultimately make it even more difficult and more expensive to put Americans to work producing American energy on what little land the government offers for lease both on and off our shores.

Rigzone