The federal government is implementing stricter rules for
offshore drilling operations, including adopting drilling safety regulations as well as workplace safety rules.
Officials in the industry said that they were reviewing the
new regulations, but that it was now safe for the Obama administration to lift the ban on deep-water drilling.
"In light of these new regulations, we strongly encourage the Obama administration to lift its economically devastating moratorium and move forward with responsible deep-water exploration in the Gulf of Mexico," commented Bruce Vincent, who is the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Association of America.
However environmental groups counter that even tightening the rules and regulations on off-shore drilling will not make it safe for all parts of the United States. Michael Gravits from Environment America said: "The next critical step in making our oceans and beaches safer from drilling is to declare all new areas off limits for drilling, the safest drilling of new places like the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, eastern Gulf of Mexico or the Arctic is no drilling at all."
The new restrictions take effect immediately and include procedures aimed at stopping blow outs and require the sign-off of independent experts on well designs, flow and intervention mechanism as well as construction.
Offshore operators will also now be required to have procedures in place to identify drilling hazards, clear protocol for addressing hazards, reducing risk and safety strategies in place for all phases of offshore drilling, from design right through to decommission.
