Drilling moratorium challenged by offshore company
By APWednesday, June 9, 2010
Drilling moratorium challenged by company
NEW ORLEANS — The government’s ban on deepwater petroleum drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is being challenged by a Louisiana petroleum service company.
Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. filed suit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, claiming the Interior Department recommended the six-month moratorium to President Barack Obama without any legal justification.
Hornbeck operates a fleet of vessels that haul people and supplies to offshore drilling rigs and production platforms. The company wants a federal judge to issue an injunction nullifying the moratorium.
The Interior Department, in a response, said the moratorium is needed for a special commission to study offshore drilling and make recommendations to the administration in light of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and oil spill.
Tags: Accidents, Barack Obama, Energy, Environmental Concerns, Louisiana, New Orleans, North America, United States
