As the fallout from the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues, the Obama administration is making policy and organizational changes, and lawmakers in Congress are trying to move legislation to address the spill and prevent future accidents from occurring. But some question how effective the administrative actions will be, and legislative proposals have been stalled by congressional opponents.
The administration’s actions so far include ordering inspections on all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico, placing a moratorium on new permits for drilling wells until a 30-day safety and environmental review is conducted and restructuring the Interior Dept.’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). Environmental groups say they are supportive of the administration’s efforts so far to respond to the spill, but that some of the moves could have less of an impact than their advocates may think.