Bush lifts oil exploration ban
July 15th, 2008 | by Sam |George W. Bush lifted an executive order banning oil exploration in US waters on Monday, ratcheting up pressure on Congress to give its consent to ending the 28-year moratorium on offshore drilling.
The Republican party has made the push to expand domestic oil production a flagship policy ahead of November’s election, amid mounting public concern at soaring energy prices.
The Democrats have resisted calls to open US waters to drilling, exposing them to Republican attacks for allegedly standing in the way of efforts to reduce dependence on foreign oil.
The president first called for the moratorium to be lifted last month but Monday’s action marked the first concrete step towards ending the ban.
Congress has a separate legislative ban that would have to be scrapped before drilling could start.
“The only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the US Congress,” said Mr Bush. “Now the ball is squarely in Congress’s court.”
The White House estimates that about 18bn barrels of oil exist in the 80 per cent of US coastal waters that are off-limits to drilling – enough to match current US production for 10 years.
Opponents say lifting the ban would threaten thousands of miles of coastline with oil spills and ugly infrastructure.
But Mr Bush argues that modern technology would allow drilling to take place without inflicting damage on the environment.
Opinion polls show that most voters have greater trust in the Democrats to tackle the energy crisis, but two-thirds support an expansion in offshore oil production. That provides an opening for the Republicans to gain ground on the issue.
John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, recently reversed his long-standing support for the ban, bringing him into line with most of his party and drawing a contrast with Barack Obama, his Democratic rival, who remains committed to the moratorium.
The Obama campaign said that lifting the ban would have little impact because it would take years for new offshore production to come online and the volumes involved were insufficient to make the US energy independent. “It would merely prolong the failed energy policies we have seen from Washington for 30 years,” said an Obama spokesman.
The White House argues that lifting the ban would help ease oil prices by sending a signal to the market about the prospects of increased US supplies.
Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill have so far resisted pressure for a vote on the drilling issue, because of signs that a significant number of the party’s legislators would side with the Republicans.