boedicca
Uppity Water Nymph from the Land of Funk
- Feb 12, 2007
- 59,439
- 24,109
- 2,290
This is an interesting one to watch - and a test to see if we are still a nation of the Rule of Law or one of the Power of Thuggery.
U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman said he will decide whether to grant an injunction to stop U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by noon on Wednesday - possibly by noon on Tuesday.
gulf_oil_nasa_satellite.JPGView full sizeNASA, The Associated PressThis satellite image provided by NASA shows oil rom the Deepwater Horizon rig visible on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday.
The case pits the Obama administration's authority to regulate an industry and protect public safety and the environment in the face of one of the world's worst oil rig disasters ever against the offshore oil industry's rights for due process and individual treatment.
Feldman, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, has called the case by Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC and other marine service and shipyard companies against the Interior Department a matter "of national significance" and that the case will proceed on a "highly expedited basis."
A hearing on the proposed injunction was in such demand Monday morning that people showed up to claim seats 90 minutes before the proceedings began, and even high-profile attorneys had to watch the session from an overflow room. Rather than just sending attorneys, Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle and the heads of three companies that brought the suit - Todd Hornbeck of Hornbeck Offshore, Boysie Bollinger of Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and Dino Chouest of the Chouest companies, all attended. A federal judge from Houston with a similar case brought June 17 by rig operator Diamond Offshore Co. listened by telephone.
Deepwater drilling moratorium ruling may be ready as soon as noon Tuesday | NOLA.com
U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman said he will decide whether to grant an injunction to stop U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by noon on Wednesday - possibly by noon on Tuesday.
gulf_oil_nasa_satellite.JPGView full sizeNASA, The Associated PressThis satellite image provided by NASA shows oil rom the Deepwater Horizon rig visible on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday.
The case pits the Obama administration's authority to regulate an industry and protect public safety and the environment in the face of one of the world's worst oil rig disasters ever against the offshore oil industry's rights for due process and individual treatment.
Feldman, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, has called the case by Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC and other marine service and shipyard companies against the Interior Department a matter "of national significance" and that the case will proceed on a "highly expedited basis."
A hearing on the proposed injunction was in such demand Monday morning that people showed up to claim seats 90 minutes before the proceedings began, and even high-profile attorneys had to watch the session from an overflow room. Rather than just sending attorneys, Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle and the heads of three companies that brought the suit - Todd Hornbeck of Hornbeck Offshore, Boysie Bollinger of Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and Dino Chouest of the Chouest companies, all attended. A federal judge from Houston with a similar case brought June 17 by rig operator Diamond Offshore Co. listened by telephone.
Deepwater drilling moratorium ruling may be ready as soon as noon Tuesday | NOLA.com