Obama Administration Offshore Moratorium Struck Down AGAIN; Taiwanese Super-Skimmer 'A Whale' Begins Testing

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected the federal government's request to reinstate a moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday afternoon. The three judge panel voted 2-1 against the moratorium, stating that Interior Secretary head Ken Salazar failed to make the case that his original stay was necessary.

"The secretary has failed to demonstrate a likelihood of irreparable injury if the stay is not granted; he has made no showing that there is any likelihood that drilling activities will be resumed pending appeal," the decision read

This may actually be a moot point, since the Interior Department or another agency can issue another moratorium or injunction- or tie up the permit and renewal process with so much red tape that one might as well be in effect. I'm sure the two judges that voted will have their financial records scrutinized like Martin Feldman's were when he issued the original injunction a few weeks ago. Again, I cordially invite these same dedicated internet sleuths to let me know when they devote their energies to finding the 'jobs created or saved' thanks to Obama's stimulus....or whether or not the dissenting judge was heavily invested in carbon offset schemes.



The first round of tests were deemed 'inconclusive' thanks to rough waters over the Independence Day weekend, but the Taiwanese bulk-freighter-turned-superskimmer A Whale is slated to undergo another week of testing around the Deepwater Horizon site. Taiwanese Maritime Transport owner Nobu Su announced that if successful, he's prepared to retrofit a second freighter dubbed the B Whale to assist in the cleanup efforts. Su and TMT (which apparently is in the middle of re-branding itself as Today Makes Tomorrow) are still awaiting approval from the US Coast Guard and EPA- if they decline Su's offer, he won't get compensated for the retrofit and voyage to the Gulf of Mexico [Personally, besides not wanting to see all those roughnecks and rig workers out of a job, I hope the A Whale proves effective- NANESB!].

The vessel was rebuilt in Portugal after the BP Deepwater Horizon sinking and first arrived in Norfolk VA.