Administration Lifts Deepwater Drilling Ban, Sierra Club Calls for End to Oil Dependence

The Obama administration announced on Tuesday it would lift the deepwater drilling ban that was put in place in the central and western Gulf of Mexico following the BP oil disaster in April. The moratorium was expected to end on November 30, 2010.

With the announcement, the administration did introduce new regulations that oil and gas drilling operators must comply with before new drilling is allowed. These long overdue regulations attempt to increase the safety of offshore drilling. Despite this, the Sierra Club feels the best way to protect our oceans from the risks associated with oil and gas development is to end our dependence on oil. Instead of new drilling in the Gulf, our nation should be investing in the type of clean energy that will create jobs and infuse new life into our economy while safeguarding our environment and public health. We hope the BP disaster will serve as a transformational catalyst, one that will launch our nation towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

To see the Sierra Club press release from the announcement, with a statement by Executive Director Michael Brune, click here. To read the announcement by Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, click here. 

 
 Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune addresses the need to move America beyond oil at an event in June.