On Monday, the Obama administration gave the 'OK' for 13 companies to resume deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico after being suspended since the BP spill in May. The 16 wells allowed to proceed with drilling were functional before the Deepwater disaster and must comply with new safety rules, environmental reviews notwithstanding.
White House spokesman Clark Stevens stated, "Safety is our top priority and the administration has already taken unprecedented steps to increase oversight and safety of offshore drilling. Any offshore drilling taking place in the United States must meet the rigorous new safety standards put in place since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill."
This article appears in Dec 30, 2010 – Jan 5, 2011.