Trevor Thielen Offshore Drilling: An American Controversy
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Conclusion The history of offshore drilling in the United States has been marred by the ebb and flow of popular opinion. For decades Americans have struggled with two fundamentally incompatible values—the desire of cheap affordable energy while simultaneously maintaining ocean conservation. Consequently, depending on the circumstances of the day, a majority of Americans have either supported or opposed the need for increased offshore drilling. As the pendulum of support for offshore drilling has swung back and forth, coastal states and the federal government have been at an impasse to find lasting solutions that successfully balance America’s competing interests. In recent years, for a majority of Americans, their opinion of offshore drilling has risen and fallen with the price of gas. Although many opponents and proponents remain steadfast in their belief that their views are correct, many more Americans are unsure. For these reasons, offshore drilling remains an American controversy. 1 Defenders of Wildlife, Outer Continental Shelf Drilling 1 (last accessed Apr. 3, 2009), available at http://www. defenders.org/resources/publications/policy_and_legislation/impacts_of_outer_continental_shelf_drilling.pdf. 2 Energy Information Administration, Overview of U.S. Legislation and Regulation Affecting Offshore Natural Gas and Oil Activity 2 (Sep 2005), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2005/ offshore/offshore.pdf. 3 Minerals Management Service, Ocean Energy 4 (last accessed Apr 2009), available at http://www.mms.gov/ mmsKids/PDFs/OceanEnergyMMS.pdf. 4 Energy Information Administration, Offshore—Petroleum and Natural Gas Production 2 (Jun 2008), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/offshore.html. 5 Energy Information Administration, supra note 2, at 2. 6 Sierra B. Weaver, local management of natrual resources: should local government be able to keep oil out, 26 hvelr 231, 233 (2002). 7 Minerals Management Service, About the Minerals Management Service 1 (Oct 2008), available at http://www. mms.gov/aboutmms/OCSLA/ocslahistory.htm. 8 Id. 9 Weaver, supra note 6, at 233. 10 Energy Information Administration, supra note 2, at 1. 11 Id. 12 Minerals Management Service, supra note 7, at 1. 13 Minerals Management Service, supra note 3 at 3. 14 John Holmes, the timor gap treaty as a model for the complete resolution of the western gap in the gulf of mexico, 35 vnjtl 925, 927 (2002). 15 Rachael E. Salcido, offshore federalism and ocean industrialization, 82 TLNLR 1355, 1377 (2008). 16 Lynn S. Sletto, piecemeanl legislation proposal: an inappropriate approach to managing offshore oil drilling, 33 ggulr 557, 559 (2003). 17 Weaver, supra note 6, at 231. 18 Michael J. McHale, an introduction to offshore energy exploration—A florida perspective, 39 jmarlc 571, 590 (2008). 19 44 U.S. 212 (1845). 20 Salcido, supra note 15, at 1377. 21 Id. 22 Id. 23 Sletto, supra note 16, at 559. 24 Weaver, supra note 6, at 233. 25 334 U.S. 19 (1947). 26 See generally, Gibson v. Ogden 22 U.S. 1. (1824) (held Congress has the power to regulate the navigable waterways based on the Commerce Clause contained in Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution). 27 Salcido, supra note 15, at 1377. 28 Minerals Management Service, Answers to Questions About Offshore Oil and Gas 2 (Sep 2006), available at http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific/offshore/oil-and-gasfaq.htm. 29 Energy Information Administration, Overview of U.S. Legislation and Regulation Affecting Offshore Natural Gas and Oil Activity 3 (Sep 2005), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2005/ offshore/offshore.pdf. 30 Id. 31 Id. 32 McHale, supra note 18, at 572; Minerals Management Service, supra note 28, at 2 (under the SLA Texas and Florida were given jurisdiction extending 9 nautical miles because these states had established ownership over these lands prior to achieving statehood). 33 Rachael E. Salcido, offshore federalism and ocean industrialization, 82 tlnlr 1355, 1378 (2008). 34 Lynn S. Sletto, piecemeanl legislation proposal: an inappropriate approach to managing offshore oil drilling, 33 ggulr 557, 561 (2003). 35 Emily Gertz, Can offshore Drilling Really Make the U.S. Oil Independent? 1 (Sep 2008), available at http://www. sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-offshore-drilling-make-us-independent. 36 Salcido, supra note 33, at 1378. 37 Sletto, supra note 34, at 560. 38 Salcido, supra note 33, at 1378. 39 Sletto, supra note 34, at 560. 40 Id. 41 Id. at 563 42 Energy Information Administration, supra note 29, at 4. 43 Michael J. McHale, an introduction to offshore energy exploration—A florida perspective, 39 jmarlc 571, 583 (2008). 44 Energy Information Administration, supra note 29, at 10. 45 464 U.S. 312 (1984). 46 Sletto, supra note 34, at 562. 47 Id. at 563. 48 Energy Information Administration, Overview of U.S. Legislation and Regulation Affecting Offshore Natural Gas and Oil Activity 8 (Sep 2005), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2005/ offshore/offshore.pdf. 49 Fox News, Lawsuits Stop Offshore Drilling in Its Tracks 1 (Nov 2008), available at http://www.foxnews.com/ politics/2008/11/24/lawsuits-stop-offshore-drilling-tracks/. 50 Minerals Management Service, What is the Outer Continental Shelf? 1 (Jan 200), available at http://www.gomr. mms.gov/homepg/whoismms/whatsocs.html. 51 Energy Information Administration, supra note 48, at 1. 52 Minerals Management Service, Ocean Energy 3 (last accessed Apr 2009), available at http://www.mms.gov/ mmsKids/PDFs/OceanEnergyMMS.pdf. 53 Energy Information Administration, supra note 48, at 3. 54 Minerals Management Service, About the Minerals Management Service 1 (Nov 2008), available at http://www. mms.gov/aboutmms/. 55 Energy Information Administration, Offshore—Petroleum and Natural Gas Production 1 (Jun 2008), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/offshore.html. 56 John Holmes, the timor gap treaty as a model for the complete resolution of the western gap in the gulf of mexico, 35 vnjtl 925, 927 (2002) (The area is also referred to as the “donut zone” of “donut hole”). 57 Energy Information Administration, supra note 48, at 2. 58 Holmes, supra note 56, at 930. 59 Id. at 932. 60 Energy Information Administration, supra note 48, at 4. 61 David J. Lynch, Cuba’s known for cigars now, but oil could change that 1 (Fed 2007), available at http://www. usatoday.com/money/world/2007-02-22-cuba-usat_x.htm. 62 Rick Jervis, Worth the risk? Debate on offshore drilling heats up 1 (Jul 2008), available at http://www.usatoday. com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-13-offshore-drilling_N.htm. 63 Sierra B. Weaver, local management of natrual resources: should local government be able to keep oil out, 26 hvelr 231, 233 (2002). 64 McHale, supra note 43, at 578. 65 Minerals Management Service, Answers to Questions About Offshore Oil and Gas 3 (Sep 2006), available at http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific/offshore/oil-and-gasfaq.htm. 66 Minerals Management Service, About the Minerals Management Service 2 (Oct 2008), available at http://www. mms.gov/aboutmms/OCSLA/ocslahistory.htm. 67 Weaver, supra note 63, at 232. 68 Rachael E. Salcido, offshore federalism and ocean industrialization, 82 tlnlr 1355, 1379 (2008). 69 Minerals Management Service, What is the Outer Continental Shelf? 1 (Jan 200), available at http://www.gomr. mms.gov/homepg/whoismms/whatsocs.html. 70 Lynn S. Sletto, piecemeanl legislation proposal: an inappropriate approach to managing offshore oil drilling, 33 ggulr 557, 570 (2003). 71 Emily Gertz, Can offshore Drilling Really Make the U.S. Oil Independent? 3 (Sep 2008), available at http://www. sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-offshore-drilling-make-us-independent. 72 Sierra Club, Outer Continental shelf 1 (Jan 2008), available at http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/coasts/ocs/ background.asp. 73 Marc Humphries, CRS Report for Congress—Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing 4 (Jan 2008) available at http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl33493.pdf. 74 Michael J. McHale, an introduction to offshore energy exploration—A florida perspective, 44 jmarlc 571, 583 (2008). 75 Ben Lieberman, Congressional Moratorium on Offshore Drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf Should Be Allowed to Expire 1 (Aug 8), available at http://www.heritage.org/Research/energyandenvironment/wm2016.cfm. 76 Sierra Club, supra note 72, at 1. 77McHale, supra note 74, at 580. 78 Sierra Club, Offshore Drilling “Cheat Sheet” 1 (Mar 2006), available at http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlands/ coasts/cheat_sheet.pdf. 79 Lieberman, supra note 75, at 2. 80 Gertz, supra note 71, at 1. 81 Id. 82 Id. at 3. 83 Stephen L. Baird, Offshore Oil Drilling: Buying Energy Independence or Buying Time? 1 (Nov 2008), available at http://www.newser.com/archive-opinion-news/1G1-188846393/offshore-oil-drilling-buying-energy-independence -or-buying-timeresources-in-technology.html(Gallup poll). 84 Id. (Zogby poll). 85 McHale, supra note 74, at 580. 86 Steven Lee Myers, Bush Lifts Drilling Moratorium, Prodding Congress 1 (Jul 2008), available at http://www. nytimes.com/2008/07/14/washington/14drillcnd.html. 87 Id. 88 Id. 89 Lawrence Lanahan, Decades old offshore drilling ban almost certain to expire 2 (Sep 2008), available at http:// www.plentymag.com/features/2008/09/offshore_drilling.php. 90 Stephen Dinan, Democrats abandon drilling ban 1 (Sep 2008), available at http://www.washingtontimes.com /news/2008/sep/24/democrats-abandon-drilling-ban/. 91 Mike Lillis, Hoyer: No Plans to Reinstall Offshore Drilling Moratorium 1 (Nov 2008), available at http:// washingtonindependent.com/19141/hoyer-no-plans-to-reinstall-offshore-drilling-moratorium. 92 Environmental News Service, Congress Allows Offshore Drilling Ban to Expire 1 (Sep 30), available at http:// www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2008/2008-09-30-091.asp. 93 Ben Lieberman, Congressional Moratorium on Offshore Drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf Should Be Allowed to Expire 1 (Aug 8), available at http://www.heritage.org/Research/energyandenvironment/wm2016.cfm. 94 Center for American Progress, Ten Reasons Not to Lift the Offshore Drilling Moratorium 1 (last accessed Apr 2009), available at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/06/offshore_drilling.html. 95 Minerals Management Service, Frequently Asked Questions: Draft Proposed Program 8 (Jan 2009), available at http://www.mms.gov/5-year/FrequentlyAskedQuestions.htm. 96 Baird, supra note 83, at 2; Minerals Management Service supra note 95, at 8. 97 Energy Information Administration, Overview of U.S. Legislation and Regulation Affecting Offshore Natural Gas and Oil Activity 6 (Sep 2005), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2005/ offshore/offshore.pdf. 98 Lynn S. Sletto, piecemeanl legislation proposal: an inappropriate approach to managing offshore oil drilling, 33 ggulr 557, 569 (2003). 99 Center for American Progress, supra note 94, at 1. 100 Emily Gertz, Can offshore Drilling Really Make the U.S. Oil Independent? 3 (Sep 2008), available at http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-offshore-drilling-make-us-independent. 101 Center for American Progress, supra note 94, at 1. 102 Lanahan, supra note 89, at 1. 103 Center for American Progress, supra note 94, at 2. 104 Steven Lee Myers, Bush Lifts Drilling Moratorium, Prodding Congress 2 (Jul 2008), available at http://www. nytimes.com/2008/07/14/washington/14drillcnd.html. 105 Id. 106 Stephen L. Baird, Offshore Oil Drilling: Buying Energy Independence or Buying Time? 2 (Nov 2008), available at http://www.newser.com/archive-opinion-news/1G1-188846393/offshore-oil-drilling-buying-energy-independence -or-buying-timeresources-in-technology.html. 107 Myers, supra note 104, at pg 2. 108 Center for American Progress, supra note 94, at 2. 109 Rick Jervis, Worth the risk? Debate on offshore drilling heats up 1 (Jul 2008), available at http://www.usatoday. com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-13-offshore-drilling_N.htm. 110 Kent Garber, If Congress Lifts the Offshore Oil Drilling Moratorium, What Happens Next? 2 (Aug 2008), available at http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/08/15/if-congress-lifts-the-offshore-oil-drilling-moratorium-what-happens-next.html 111 Baird, supra note 106, at 3. 112 Center for American Progress, supra note 94, at 2. 113 Thomas Schueneman, Congress Allows Offshore Drilling Moratorium to Expire After 26 Years 1 (Oct 2008), available at http://www.globalwarmingisreal.com/blog/2008/10/01/congress-allows-offshore-drilling-moratorium-to-expire-after-26-years/. 114 USLaw, On President Bush Lifting the Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling 1 (Jul 2008), available at http:// www.uslaw.com/library/Politics/President_Bush_Lifting_Executive_Ban_Offshore_Drilling.php?item=192648. 115 Baird, supra note 106, at 2. 116 Michael J. McHale, an introduction to offshore energy exploration—A florida perspective, 44 jmarlc 571, 582 (2008). 117 Baird, supra note 106, at 2. 118 Jason Embry, Most offshore leases producing no oil, gas 1 (Jul 2008), available at http://www.statesman.com/ news/content/shared/news/stories/2008/07/OFFSHORE_DRILLING03.html. 119 Baird, supra note 106, at 2. 120 Alternative Energy Programmatic EIS, 6 altetnate uses of existing oil and natrual gas platforms on the ocs 3 (Mar 2007), available at http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/documents/dpeis/Alt_Energy_DPEIS_Chapter6.pdf. 121 Minerals Management Service, Answers to Questions About Offshore Oil and Gas 3 (Sep 2006), available at http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific/offshore/oil-and-gasfaq.htm. 122 McHale, supra note 116, at 580. 123 Minerals Management Service, supra note 121, at 3. 124 Defenders of Wildlife, Outer Continental Shelf Drilling 1 (last accessed Apr. 3, 2009), available at http://www. defenders.org/resources/publications/policy_and_legislation/impacts_of_outer_continental_shelf_drilling.pdf. 125 Id. 126 Minerals Management Service, supra note 121, at 4. 127 Energy Information Administration, Offshore—Petroleum and Natural Gas Production 3 (Jun 2008), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/offshore.html. 128 Rick Jervis, Worth the risk? Debate on offshore drilling heats up 2 (Jul 2008), available at http://www.usatoday. com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-13-offshore-drilling_N.htm. 129 Id. (report stated that the remaining 22% of oil in the oceans was caused by municipal and industrial waste). 130 Environmental News Service, Congress Allows Offshore Drilling Ban to Expire 2 (Sep 30), available at http:// www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2008/2008-09-30-091.asp. 131 Defenders of Wildlife, supra note 124, at 1. 132 Id. 133 Lynn S. Sletto, piecemeanl legislation proposal: an inappropriate approach to managing offshore oil drilling, 33 ggulr 557, 570 (2003). 134 Energy Information Administration, Overview of U.S. Legislation and Regulation Affecting Offshore Natural Gas and Oil Activity 6 (Sep 2005), available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/natural_gas/feature_articles/2005/ offshore/offshore.pdf. 135 Sierra B. Weaver, local management of natrual resources: should local government be able to keep oil out, 26 hvelr 231, 240 (2002). 136 Minerals Management Service, Alternative Uses of Existing Oil and Gas Platforms 1 (last accessed Apr 2009), available at http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/guide/platform/index.cfm; Alternative Energy Programmatic EIS, supra note 120, at 6. 137 Alternative Energy Programmatic EIS, supra note 120, at 4. 138 Id. at 3. 139 Minerals Management Service, Ocean Energy 4 (last accessed Apr 2009), available at http://www.mms.gov/ mmsKids/PDFs/OceanEnergyMMS.pdf. 140 Weaver, supra note 135, at 240. Download 118.99 Kb. Share with your friends:
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