Landrieu to keep up pressure on Salazar

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D.-La., today expressed disappointment following Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s visit to Houma, Louisiana, where he was supposedly to have outlined a series of steps to lift the de facto moratorium on shallow-and deep-water oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

Senator Landrieu had lifted a hold she had put on Jack Lew’s nomination as OMB director after receiving assurances from Secretary Salazar that he would get things moving.

Evidently, the statements he made did not meet Senator Landrieu’s expectations. As a result, it looks like the Louisiana congressional delegation will find further means of making it painful for the Obama administration to keep ignoring the plight of the offshore industry

Senator Landrieu said:

“I am extremely disappointed that Secretary Salazar’s presentation today failed to provide regulatory certainty and a clear path for speeding up the process of issuing drilling permits. Our industry leaders are skeptical and have every right to be. They received a commitment to the tiered permitting process, which is a start, but the Gulf Coast needs much more clarity and specificity to move forward.

“The holding of Jack Lew’s nomination was just one strategy, and unfortunately that option was coming to an end. I was assured a clear path forward was imminent, and I hope it still is. However, there are many other tools at our disposal, and our delegation will use every one to send the message that it is harmful to our economy and our national security to keep this industry in the dark and on the sidelines. We now have this administration’s attention, but the fight is not over. I will keep the pressure on President Obama, Secretary Salazar and the rest of this administration until people in the Gulf get back to work.”

November 22, 2010