Offshore Drilling Ban to be Lifted by Bush

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Why oy?

Oh, I'm sure you could guess : lovely otter staining Exxon Valdez-style oil spills, beautiful oil platforms highlighted in your favorite beach sunset photos, dependence on oil when we should be focusing on other environmentally friendly alternatives, all those sorts of reasons.

The move is largely symbolic because there is also a federal law banning offshore oil drilling.
Bush has been pushing Congress to repeal the law passed in 1981.
"There is no excuse for delay," the president said in a Rose Garden statement last month.
"In the short run, the American economy will continue to rely largely on oil, and that means we need to increase supply here at home," Bush said, adding that there is no more pressing issue for many Americans than gas prices.
Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, signed the executive order in 1990 banning offshore drilling.

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