NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The federal government says the deepwater
petroleum drilling ban in the Gulf of Mexico is vital to avoid
additional well blowouts and oil spills.
That contention, entered in the court record late Thursday, is
at the heart of the Interior Department's answer to a federal
lawsuit challenging the legality of the six-month moratorium. A
group of offshore service companies filed the suit June 9.
U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman is scheduled Monday to
hear a motion to nullify the moratorium at least temporarily.
The government contends the moratorium is needed to ensure
future drilling safety. The Interior Department also disputes the
claim that the ban will cause long-term economic harm to the Gulf
Coast.
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