http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gB6bi0EyTozdEPy0KGisTQNaS2PQD93CUKU00 Pelosi and Reid made clear through spokesmen late Tuesday that the issue of offshore drilling would be revisited next year as part of broader energy legislation with a new president and Congress.
"We look forward to working with the next president to hammer out a final resolution of this issue," said Manley, speaking on behalf of Reid. While the ban on energy development along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts will expire with the conclusion of this fiscal year, Sept. 31, under the House provision, it doesn't mean there will be any federal sale of oil and gas leases in the offshore waters — much less actual drilling — any time soon. The Interior Department's current five-year leasing plan includes potential leases off the Virginia coast but probably would not be pursued unless the state agrees to energy development. And the state is unlikely to do so without Congress agreeing to share federal royalties with the state. In any case, energy experts say it takes five years to 10 years for any oil to flow after the initial lease offering is made. Offshore oil and gas development has been concentrated in the western Gulf of Mexico from Alabama to Texas, and the Interior Department has made available leases off Alaska where there has been no ban. Even with the lifting of the federal drilling moratorium, energy companies still would be barred from waters within 125 miles of Florida's west coast. Those waters remain protected under a 2006 law that opened 8.3 million acres to drilling in the east-central Gulf. #################################################################### On Sep 24, 6:38 am, mark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > WASHINGTON - Democrats have decided to allow a quarter-century ban on > drilling for oil off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to expire next > week, conceding defeat in a months-long battle with the White House > and Republicans set off by $4 a gallon gasoline prices this summer. > > House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., told > reporters Tuesday that a provision continuing the moratorium will be > dropped this year from a stopgap spending bill to keep the government > running after Congress recesses for the election. > > Republicans have made lifting the ban a key campaign issue after > gasoline prices spiked this summer and public opinion turned in favor > of more drilling. President Bush lifted an executive ban on offshore > drilling in July. > > "If true, this capitulation by Democrats following months of > Republican pressure is a big victory for Americans struggling with > record gasoline prices," said House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
