House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement on the Department of the Interior’s new offshore drilling regulations:

“The Interior Department today announced new rules on drilling, but still refuses to say when the arbitrary, non-science based moratorium will be lifted.  When will the Administration actually begin issuing permits? When will people in the Gulf be allowed to return to work?

“New rules by this Administration must be clear, concise, enforceable and, most importantly, enable energy production to immediately resume in the Gulf.  Otherwise, a de facto moratorium could remain in place for years that will cause more American job losses and more companies moving operations overseas.”

# # #

Print version of this document