[StBernard] Statewide moratorium on drilling near interstates announced

[Westley Annis]

Statewide moratorium on drilling near interstates announced 

The following is being distributed on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources



BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Office of Conservation announced Tuesday a moratorium on drilling oil and gas wells within a quarter-mile of an interstate highway.

The 120-day moratorium on issuing new drilling permits near interstate highways begins Dec. 1, said Jim Welsh, the state's Commission of Conservation. Welsh oversees the Office of Conservation, a division of the state Department of Natural Resources that regulates oil and gas drilling in the state 

Tuesday's emergency order came after a natural gas well blow-out and fire near Interstate 10 in Iberville Parish on Nov. 15. That incident resulted in the closing of I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basin until the well is capped. The cause of the blow-out remains under investigation.

"Governor Blanco asked this office to take immediate steps to protect public safety by reviewing our rules about permitting drilling near major highways," Welsh said.

"This moratorium gives us the opportunity to carefully re-examine our regulations including any necessary changes in the documents applicants submit, in our approval process and possibly recommending changes in legislation," Welsh said. 


The emergency compliance notice follows:

Date: November 20, 2007

To: All Affected Parties

From: James H. Welsh
Commissioner of Conservation

Subject: Suspension of Issuance of New Oil & Gas Drilling Permits, Form MD-10-R
___________________________________________________________________________


Effective December 1, 2007, and for a period of 120 days thereafter, the Office of Conservation hereby suspends the practice of issuing Drilling Permits for Oil & Gas wells with a surface location within one-quarter mile of the following Interstate Highways in Louisiana: I-10, I-12, I-20, I-49, I-55, I-110, I-210, I-310, I-510, and I-610.

During this moratorium, the Engineering Division of the Office of Conservation will no longer issue drilling permits for such wells. 

ISSUED THIS DATE PURSUANT TO LAW:


_________________________________
JAMES H. WELSH, COMMISSIONER
LOUISIANA OFFICE OF CONSERVATION


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