Drilling Ban Cost 23,000 Jobs

A federal report has added yet another stark reminder of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill’s economic impact, revealing that the deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico has claimed around 23,000 jobs. If the ban is held up for another six months, a further 9,450 workers could find themselves out of work. The ban has been in place since July 13 when the White House acted on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s advice. (Salazar had originally enacted a moratorium in June, but it was overruled by a federal judge in New Orleans.) Many leaders in the Gulf have echoed BP’s calls to end the ban, but the Interior Department insists that it is appropriate and that the economic impact is smaller than expected. Furthermore, it noted in a statement, the Obama administration made BP promise to set up a $100 million fund to compensate affected workers.