By Vladimir - RedState
A new and improved" version of
Secretary Salazars Deepwater offshore drilling ban was unveiled today. There seems to be little practical difference between this ban and the one that has been stayed by the courts
as arbitrary and capricious".
That hasnt deterred
Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) from opening his yap and exposing his utter lack of a grasp on the issue quite a gaffe for the #2 Dem on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Administration allies hailed the reinstatement of the ban Monday and said that it would not harm the Gulfs economy.
This moratorium will reduce oil spill risk while the Gulf will continue to produce oil" said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) who chairs the House Energy panels subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. As new laws and safety measures are put into place on these few dozen rigs 97 percent of the manned rigs in the Gulf will still be allowed to work" he said.
Rep. Markey has apparently succumbed to the common laymans mistake of confusing rigs" with platforms". For a man in his position of responsibility it is shameful that he doesnt know the difference.
Rigs drill wells. There are exactly 123 rigsable to work right now in the Gulf. According to Baker Hughes 16 are working at the present time.
Rigs especially Deepwater rigs are where the bulk of the money is spent. Idling 33 rigs by executive fiat has a disastrous effect on the economy and the job outlook for Louisiana and every other Gulf state.
Markeys 97 is a cruel joke. I dont know the figures off the top of my head but I would be surprised if there were anywhere close to 1100 manned platforms (permanent producing structures) the number needed to make Rep. Markeys comment semi-coherent.
Sleep well tonight Rep. Markey and know that your willful ignorance of the issues and gross misrepresentation of the facts might costs thousands of hardworking people their livelihoods.
