REAP Calls for a Nation-Wide 3 Year Moratorium on New Off-Shore Oil Drilling; Cites Disarray at the Minerals Management Service (MMS)

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Renewable Energy Accountability Project

May 19, 2010, 04:51 ET

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Renewable Energy Accountability Project called on the Obama Administration to halt any new permits for offshore oil drilling on both coasts of the United States.

"It has been nearly a month since British Petroleum's Deep Water Horizon oil rig caught fire and began releasing hundreds of thousands of barrels of toxic crude oil into the Gulf waters. However, what is more tragic is the fact that the regulators responsible for reviewing off-shore oil operations have became close allies with oil companies, like BP, and their lobbyists," stated REAP Chair Jim Gonzalez.

REAP is calling attention to news accounts that report that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) issued numerous permits to offshore oil operations without accurate environmental danger assessments. MMS has also been cited for changing reports which were conducted by environmental scientists in order to allow BP to continue their deep water operations without a contingency plan if an accident had occurred.

"This disaster is just another example of the severe dangers of dependence on dirty fossil fuels for our energy needs. The Renewable Energy Accountability Project insists on a complete moratorium on all new offshore oil drilling for three years until a full investigation has been completed and new safeguards are in place," added Jim Gonzalez.

"The use of poor judgment by Federal regulating agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in minimizing the environmental dangers is shameful. The three year moratorium that REAP is calling for will give the federal government enough time to fully correct the questionable and conflicted relationships between federal regulatory agencies and the Big Oil lobby," concluded Jim Gonzalez.

http://reapinfo.org

SOURCE Renewable Energy Accountability Project