Federal Judge Richard Mark Gergel today barred the government from moving forward with seismic permitting during the shutdown, settling what critics say was the confusion the government created by recalling workers to process oil-drilling matters while at the same time not funding federal lawyers to respond to opponents in court.
Gergel issued an order "effectively saying that the government could not have it both ways," says a spokesperson for the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
"His ruling concerned a Justice Department request for a pause — or stay — in a legal request by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to join a lawsuit filed by 16 South Carolina coastal cities and a group of conservation organizations."
Government lawyers said they could not properly respond to Wilson’s request because of the shutdown. However, Wilson noted that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had issued a directive for workers to keep processing a variety of matters needed to move forward with oil drilling.…
Gergel issued an order "effectively saying that the government could not have it both ways," says a spokesperson for the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC).
"His ruling concerned a Justice Department request for a pause — or stay — in a legal request by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson to join a lawsuit filed by 16 South Carolina coastal cities and a group of conservation organizations."
Government lawyers said they could not properly respond to Wilson’s request because of the shutdown. However, Wilson noted that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had issued a directive for workers to keep processing a variety of matters needed to move forward with oil drilling.…
