Deepwater oil drilling stops in US | WPN World People News

A new halt to deepwater drilling until November 30th has been called by the US government, to ensure oil companies have put into place safety measures following the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

Interior secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement that a moratorium on deepwater drilling was essential to protect communities, coasts, and wildlife from the risks of another spill like the one that happened more than 80 days ago in the Gulf of Mexico.

He said deepwater drilling had posed questions based on evidence that was growing every day.

The industry's inability in the deepwater to contain a catastrophic blowout and respond to an oil spill had become obvious, he said.

Only days ago an appeals court denied the government's emergency request to stay a federal judge's ruling to lift its previous six-month moratorium order.

Mr Salazar had previously warned he would issue a new order to block deepwater drilling regardless of how the court ruled.

Source:Asia Pacific News.Net