The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit Friday against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, seeking to have the deepwater drilling moratorium reinstated. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that Salazar's order to lift the ban without conducting a comprehensive review of the effects of drilling on wildlife and the environment violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 USC § 4321-4347] and is arbitrary and capricious. Earlier this month, Salazar announced the end of a six-month moratorium on certain types of deepwater oil drilling, seven weeks ahead of schedule. The moratorium was put in place following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April, in which the Center states spilled more than "200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico." In explaining the need for the reinstatement, the center said:WTF? They, the oil companies, admitted they have no plan! What has changed with regard to how the oil companies drill,cut corners on safety for their employees on the rigs and how they care for the environment when it all blows up in their fucking faces?
The Secretary's failure to include and inform the public in NEPA's decision-making process violates NEPA's requirement that agencies make the relevant information available to the public so that it may also play a role in both the decision-making process and the implementation of the proposed activity. In the aftermath of the worst environmental disaster in American history it is arbitrary and capricious and in violation of NEPA for the Secretary to withhold from public notice, comment, and review the Environmental Assessment prior to making his decision.
The lawsuit comes as the Department of Interior (DOI) is considering granting the first drilling permit since lifting the moratorium.
