May 20, 2011
On Thursday, another federal judge compelled Secretary Salazar to stop dragging his feet on a decision that would permit Shell Oil to move forward with an offshore drilling program. This is the fourth such ruling from the bench in less than a year, when the administration imposed a “capricious and arbitrary” drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico.
Time and again, we see the administration needing a legislative or judicial kick in the rear just to do its job. If Secretary Salazar would just do his — by reviewing offshore exploration plans and issuing permits in a reasonable and predictable timeframe — hundreds of thousands of Americans could get back to their jobs.
Jim Adams
President and CEO, Offshore Marine Service Association