Louisiana leaders say Gulf drilling ban could be worse than oil spill

June 16, 2010 05:05


As the president attempts to curb the nation’s spewing anger over the Gulf oil spill in Tuesday’s national address, leaders and experts in Louisiana say the administration is continuing to strike out.

By Steven Powell – The Daily Caller

Earlier this month, the president ordered a six month ban on exploratory deepwater drilling – a move some experts predict will pour salt into the wounds of the already injured region.

The moratorium could lead to massive job losses in Louisiana, which relies on drilling to support its economy, Louisiana State University Economist James Richardson said.

“The moratorium could be more devastating than the leak, because more people are employed by the oil industry than the fishing industry,” he said.

The moratorium could cost the state more than 20,000 jobs by the end of the year, according to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. The Department estimates for every one employee working on a rig, nine employees onshore are working to support that rig.

“During one of the most challenging economic periods in decades, the last thing we need is to enact public policies that will certainly destroy thousands of existing jobs while preventing the creation of thousands more,” Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

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