"The U.S. Minerals Management Service, which grants offshore drilling permits, set aside safety regulations for oil exploration in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, environmental groups alleged in a lawsuit on Tuesday. In a 2008 notice to oil companies with drilling leases off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama -- areas now threatened by the spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon rig -- the agency known as MMS waived requirements for documentation on what would be done in case of a blowout or a 'worst-case scenario' spill, the lawsuit said.
The suit, filed on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Gulf Restoration Network by the environmental law firm Earthjustice, comes on the heels of more than 100 other lawsuits spawned by the spill. This federal suit seeks to reverse what it called an illegal waiver of safety regulations. The waiver was granted in 2008 and extends through 2013, according to a copy of the MMS notice to the oil firms obtained by Earthjustice."
Deborah Zabarenko reports for Reuters May 19, 2010.
See Also:
"Spill Reinforces Oil Bad Will for American Indians" (AP)
"Gulf Oil Spill: Tempers Flare in Senate" (Greenspace)
"BP Oil Spill Poses PR Dilemma for Nonprofits" (Los Angeles Times)
"Turtle Deaths Running High Since Oil Spill: Expert" (Reuters)
"Tarballs in Florida Stoke Fears of Oil Slick Spread" (Reuters)
Coast Guard Says Tarballs Not from Deepwater Horizon (Coast Guard Release)
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