President Obama has changed his mind on allowing offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast. The Administration now says it will not allow drilling in these areas through 2017. The revised Interior Department drilling plan, also will delay the next two lease sales in the central and western Gulf of Mexico. The move took industry officials and many environmentalists by surprise.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the decision to remove large swaths from the 2012-17 offshore lease plan was based on the nation's experience with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Instead of opening up new areas to oil and gas exploration, Salazar says the United States should focus and expand critical resources on areas that are currently active.
Secretary Salazar indicates there could also be a decision upcoming that would postpone new drilling off the coast of Alaska,
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