Press Release from the Center for Biological Diversity
From Killing Wild Horses to Destroying Coastal Marine Life, Salazar’s Incompetence Knows No Bounds
Endangered Dolphins swimming through "Slick" Salazar's oil slick
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed suit against Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar over his continued approval of offshore drilling plans in the Gulf of Mexico without environmental review. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeks to overturn Department of Interior policies exempting oil drilling from the environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act.
BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling plan was approved in 2009 under the “categorical exclusion” exemption policy, leading to the April 20, 2010 explosion that killed 11 people and caused what is likely the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Despite the catastrophe, Secretary Salazar allowed the Minerals Management Service to issue 26 new drilling approvals — all exempt from environmental review — after the explosion.
“Ken Salazar has learned absolutely nothing from this national catastrophe,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “He is still illegally exempting dangerous offshore drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico from all environmental review as millions of gallons of oil gush into the ocean. It is outrageous and unacceptable.
“Today’s lawsuit seeks to turn Salazar’s fictitious ‘moratorium’ on oil-drilling approvals into a real one,” added Suckling.
Secretary Salazar has been embroiled in controversy since it was revealed on May 5, 2010 that he allowed the Minerals Management Service to exempt BP’s offshore drilling plan from environmental review by using a loophole in the National Environmental Policy Act meant only to apply to projects with no, or minimal, negative effects — such as construction of outhouses and hiking trails. The controversy deepened when it was revealed that the agency routinely exempts hundreds of dangerous offshore oil drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico every year.
“It is inconceivable that Ken Salazar could go visit what is likely the worst oil spill in American history, then continue to allow the rubber-stamping of new drilling permits based on the absurd claim that an oil spill cannot occur and would not be dangerous if it did. It is positively Kafkaesque,” said Suckling.
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Categories: Horse News
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
I have no doubt whatsoever that upon seeing the oil spill/torrent that Salazar will stamp his A-OK on new dangerous drilling. I think he should get sued from every angle until maybe he gets sick of it and does a Palin and quits. I have no hope that this man will ever get it.
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oh God the picture of dolphins swimming threw the oil speaks a thousand words 😦 I live near the gulf, many times I see the dolphins playing and the large turtles and big hammerhead sharks there aswell.
The Gulf is full of life and now will be a dead-zone cesspool because of Salazar and his good old boys.
Salazar should have gulf water piped to his home for all his drinking water!
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I really like that idea. There is no doubt that this man is both arrogant and irresponsible – as WE already knew. This may lead to getting rid of him as we have so often wished, but I’m sure NONE of us wanted it at such a heavy price.
This “rubber stamping” has been going on for years, but if anyone deserved to be left holding the bag, it’s Salazar. I just wish SOMEONE had pulled the plug BEFORE this happened…..
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I’m a Coloradoan, and I was not happy with Salazar as our senator, with his pro-illegal alien attitude. I was thrilled to get rid of him! I was NOT, however, impressed with Obama appointing him to a post in our FEDERAL government. His actions continue to be irresponsible and self-serving, only on a grander scale. This guy needs PAY for the destruction his actions have caused. Put him to work cleaning oil-fouled beaches, it’s the only job he’s fit for.
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Irresponsible officials and CEO’s that kill and maim people, wild life and the environment in the name of profit are no less then terrorists. Guantanamo Bay is too good for some people. Alas the Federal Courts our last hope is all too often as impotent as geldings in stopping such atrocities.
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Salazar has no business holding the office he now holds. The people need to rise up and call for his dismissal or his resignation, which ever why he wants to play it…..He needs to be out of that office.
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I would rather pay $4 for a gallon of gas than EVER have anything like this happen again! When will the [obviously incompetent] Obama administration get a CLUE? We have so much sun, wind, and water for fuel. Even coal and natural gas can be harvested from our country [on our continent instead of our oceans] and it CAN be done safely and with reparable environmental impact! We can orbit the earth why in the world aren’t we taking care of it?
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I called the White House the other day and asked for the resignation/dismissal of Ken Salazar. Do it—everyone– call the White House. GET RID OF KEN SALAZAR!
Do you care enough about the environment?
Do you care enough about the wild horses that he is rounding-up/penning/killing ? Yes they are dying at his hands.
Do you care enough about the Gulf Disaster?? Now some of that oil is caught in the Gulf loop—that will take it into the Atlantic!
Where is the responsibility? Certainly our elected officials and their appointed Bureau of Interior officials– KEN SALAZAR etc.– have made a MESS of the US environment. How angry are you? I am as MAD AS HELL —and I called the White House!
Thank you Cloud Foundation and RT Fitch for the TRUTH!
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I called the White House as well.
The weasel has to go!!
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Anything attempt to hold Salazar accountable is a good thing. Unfortunately, Center for Biological Diversity doesn’t give a damn about wild horses and burros. However, whatever it takes to make Salazar’s head roll works for me.
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Agreed, but we may find ourselves partnering with other like minded groups in an effort to get the message out in front of mainstream America.
Sent from R.T.’s iPhone
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OK. Please don’t blast me before this is thought through. I am no fan of Salazar, however, why aren’t we holding the Bush Admin just as accountable, and Clinton, Bush Sr., etc. When was this particular oil rig permitted and installed? In the last 18 months? When was this oil permitting system put into place – just since Salazar took his post? Which administration actually provided the permit for this particular oil rig? And all the other rigs that have the same fail safe devices , that apparently are not fail safe at all, and no environmental assessments? How many are out there and when were they permitted and installed?
I’m all for holding current administrations responsible for what they do and don’t do, but I’m not for throwing stones at one when 100, or 1000 are just as guilty. I don’t know the history yet, so I have to waite to condemn. Salazar and Obama have just, after all, completly gutted the permitting system they inherited. Maybe this will become a trend and they will finally do something in favor of wild horses too – I can dream.
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Opps, didn’t do the math correclty on that date of April 2009.
But even so, I have to ask when the “categorical exclusion” exemption policy was put into place – what year and what administration and how many permits have been issued and in what years?
I think we need to take a deep breath and let these lawsuites produce evidence and answer these questions. Anyone can file a civil suit for any reason, does not mean the accused are guilty on any or all charges, nor does it indicate that all the guilty parties have been accused. The outcomes of congressinal testimony need to be waded through also.
It is my understanding that the loop hole includes something like “driling for research, not for production”, and supposedly this rig was not for production purposes. Does’nt make it right, but may make it accurate according to the permit process, which is obviiously claringly flawed.
Right now I would rather have Salazar’s attention on stopping this leak, then rake him over the coals once this leak has stopped.
I need to be clear about blame before I place it. This is similar to me in the charges against Obama that the housing meltdown is his fault. Last month was the FIRST reduction in forclosures in FOUR (4) YEARS.
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And I would add, that the escalation in wild horse gathers started with the Bush Administration -that does not let Obama off the hook if he refuses to investigate this and do something, but I am not about to dismiss and forget who started and propagated anything.
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Bush/Cheney amped up the roundups and the cozy deals for the oil guys, many thought some things would change with the new administration, however, Salazar’s appointment was viewed with disappointment by environmentalists and wild horse advocates.
I emailed the WH about removing Salazar and current energy policy, I actually received a reply!!!! Never have i received even a “email received” reply from WH in response to all the pleas for a roundup moratorium; maybe Washington is believing that Americans are really getting fed up with the status-quo.
So yes, inundate DC with calls for this man’s removal as a first step in restoring SOME trust in government.
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This interview has the facts from an eye wittness.If you watch this 60 min. show, the well blew out because parts were broken and ignored. At the time of the blowout Halaburton (cheaneys business) was placing well caps along with BP and both did a shoddy job. The actual explosion came when officials were standing on deck and patting themselves on the back.
Our country, land and sea, the wild horses aswell- are mismanaged to death by the good old boys.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6490509n&tag=mg;mostpopvideo
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This 60 minutes report says this rig ws there for sever (7) years.
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While watching the latest news about the BP Oil spill, a frightening thought came to mind: what if we can’t stop the oil? I mean, what happens if after all the measures to cap the pipe fail, (i.e., “Top Hat”, “Small Hat” and “Top Kill”). What then? An accident this problematic is new territory for BP. The oil pipeline is nearly a mile down on the ocean floor, accessible only by robots. Add on top of that the extreme pressure at which the oil is flowing out of the pipeline and there you have it: the perfect storm.
Moreover, scientists also claim that they’ve found an enormous plume of oil floating just under the surface of the ocean measuring approximately 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick. (I’m no math genius, but I bet one of you reading this could figure out just how many barrels of oil that is…)
There are new estimates that the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico is anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil a day: that’s a far cry from BP’s estimated 5,000 barrels a day. If BP’s estimates are correct, the total amount of oil now in the Gulf would be approximately 150,000 barrels (or 6,300,000 gallons). That’s barely enough to fill 286 swimming pools: sixteen feet, by thirty-two feet, by eight and a half feet deep. That wouldn’t cover an area the size of New York City, let alone an area the size of Delaware. Obviously, the spill is much larger than we are being led to believe. If the leak can’t be stopped, in a year’s time, we’ll have roughly 18,250,000 barrels of oil (or 766,500,000 gallons) in our oceans, killing our marine and animal wildlife. Such a calamity would be environmentally and economically disastrous. I’m not a religious man, but I pray that BP and our government work fast to end this catastrophe.
http://www.calculateme.com/Volume/Barrels(Petroleum)/ToGallons.htm
http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/05/17/latest-news-from-the-oil-spill-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-is-grim/
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/05/20/scientist-says-oil-spill-is-leaking-100000-barrels-of-oil-a-day-not-bps-estimate-of-5000/
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Fine. Hold accountable any one who should be held accountable. Call the White House and ask for their dismissal/resignation/accountability. That’s what RT asked us to do the other day—“Salazar up to his neck in wild horses/dolphins/oil slick”. He provided phone #s. I called and gave them an earful. We’ve got to get people in there who can handle the job and not make us all Mad as Hell!
I have horses–I do not round them up with helicopters/pen them/withhold water & food. I do not run the hooves off the babies. I protest what Salazar has done to my federal horses. (with my tax dollar!)
I have a pond. I do not dump oil in it. I protest what Salazar has done to the Gulf because procedures were not followed. (again, my tax dollar).
Thank you YouTube and the internet at large for the TRUTH!
Silent Spring??? it’s coming. Don’t just “blog”–call the White House– tell them to hold some body accountable— maybe Salazar.
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I have been calling the White House comment line every day to protest the round-ups. The line has been busy the last couple of days.
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I’d say it’s about time….maybe we’ll see some justice after all. He simply cannot be allowed to go on with his arrogant and totally irresponsible behavior. Keep up the calls and letters everyone….it couldn’t be for a better cause!
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this Is the predictable outcome of “FASTTRACKING”. When you start circumventing the processes in place by going around, undercutting or claiming “no impact” as those of us who study every EA on every HMA do -realise..and the Ruby-Pipeline, The Barrick_Cortez Goldmine, and I am sure-all the current energy projects being fast-tracked..it becomes alarming..We have these steps and processes in place for a reason..My fondest wish is to see both Abbey and Salazar gone, and to see a true set of resonalbe scientists in place of the politicians in place that will fastrack within the checks and balances…Abbey must be gone as well-his history with the wild horses in Nevada is terrible…
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Everyone who has signed the orders for these round-ups is on the “go” list.
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President Obama is going to lose his liberal base fast if he doesn’t do something quickly about getting rid of Ken Salazar. Scientists are telling it like it is. I am so angry and upset over what has been done to the Gulf, and now we read about Salazar and his stupidity… We will remember this in Iowa.
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FYI, I just watched ABC’s World News Tonite, where they reported that a former BP exec was appointed to the part of DOI (MMS maybe) that was in charge of safety of the drilling rigs, nice huh?
Also, the EPA has taken over the operations in the Gulf, as they say BP has too much control over every aspect of the cleanup AND has forbidden BP from ANY future offshore drilling. If Salazar’s head doesn’t roll and soon, I will be surprised, as I am sure more lawsuits are being drawn up right now.
Also, Rand Paul is saying that “accidents happen” in saying that Obama sounds unAmerican in criticizing BP for the disaster in the Gulf! This wass very preventable, had safety regulations been enforced and regular inspections done. I am hoping that the EPA is conducting safety checks on ALL offshore drilling platforms ASAP.
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Jan, that is good news. Though the EPA has not always been our friend and have indulged in same scientific report editing and sweeping whislte blowers under the carpet or painting them as whackos. But this has to be good news -, as long as BP pays the EPA bill.
This was not an “accident”, as it was not only preventable in the first place, but warnings were given from the scientists as things started falling apart. If I am driving a car, and there is a pedestrian cross walk, and my passengers are warning me that there are pedestrians, is it an “accident” if I runover and kill a few, especially if I sped up (fast tracked) the vehicle with the pedestrians in sight? But ok for some, Cheney and his pals all made their trillions already through Halaburten (spell?), and will just throw the clean up to the taxpayers. Or attempt to. “Unamerican” threats by bullies, where have we heard that recently and how has that worked out for us so far? I will be watching Paul closely after this – had had some hopes.
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Rand Paul is a nutjob who doesn’t want anyone telling multinational corporations what to do. This is the guy who thinks that private business should be able to discriminate on the basis of race. He is hands off of any government regulation of any private corporation. Of course, he thinks it’s fine that corporations can tell us what to do though, like BP banning reporters from taking photos of oil on beaches.
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Thanks. I had appreciated some of his fathers rationale over the years, but sonny seems to have fallon of the edge of reason – giving the socially conscious libertarians a black eye. This all seems off topic, but it is not. This is what our fight for wild horses are up against also. Just read this morning that the finance reform went through and that last minute attempts to “slip in” riders that would put back the loop holes were fought off, as were the recent attempts to re-open horse slaughter. But only after we the people warned our elected officials they better do this right or “out of here”. Recent elections show we are not kidding around and Washington and local officials know it. I suspect there will be very few re-elected the next couple of rounds. This could be good, this could be bad, but at least it shows DOI/BLM and all the rest of the bums that we mean business and I am not talking business as usual!
I copied this from one of my favoriate bloggers. I did not copy what they were responding to though “Would that we could”, but I don’t think it is necessary – the meaning is we can’t go after BP by legal methods to make them pay. I have to admit but I did not realize our corporations were all moving to Dubai. But don’t they still have to operate the business they do on USA soil under USA rules? Not sure the article was up to date, as I read, unconfirmed, that yesterday Obama put ,or will be putting, EPA in charge of the oil spill.
So if Rand Paul were king the Federal Government would not be able to do anything about this mess at all, hands off – and hands off the corporations taking our public land and doing what they want with it, including removing all of our wild horses? Be carefull what you wish for! Recommend everyone see the Documentary – The Corporation:
James Carville Takes On Obama On Oil Spill: He’s ‘Risking Everything’ With ‘Go Along With BP Strategy’
“Would that we could. But today’s Wall Street Protection Racket Laws protects them all because they are not American Companies. Or haven’t you heard they moved their home bases to Dubai? These are international companies. NOT American companies. Their MONEY IS OFF SHORE PROTECTED BY OTHER NATIONS. So how’s that make you feel when you buy BP gas? Or haven’t you figured out yet NOT to do so? Boycott BP”
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Roxy, I also jsut read a report that Kevin Costner bought a n oil cleanup technolgy after the Exxon Valdez spill and over tha past 20 years, has paid to have a team of scientists develop it, BP is oking it’s use starting next week, it is an oil separator of some sort, also James Cameron and Robert Redford are offering assistance as well, I’m hoping this works, supposedly Costner spent $24 million of his own money to develop this technology,
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Fingers crossed that it works!
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Just read a very interesting article in NWF’s new issue. About energy development and extraction out west; about how the BLM has leased 44 million out of the 256 million acres it “manages.” I quote:
“Public lands valued for grazing, hunting, wildlife -watching, recreation and other multiple uses are being converted to single-use industrial zones.
Of course the horses need to be removed.
It also says Cheney , a former Halliburton employee, the company co-responsible for the disaster in the Gulf, requested that
exemptions to the 2005 energy bill passed by Congress, called the “halliburton loophole” gave energy companies exemptions from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Very interesting reading. I know NWF is not an advocate for wild horses, but it’s clear what is happening out west and why these horses are being removed in such numbers.
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EEE GADS! Cheney AGAIN! Is this guy like gum stuck to our shoes or what?
We are in for a long haul. We have yet to see even the tip of the ice berg created by our leaders over the last 8 to10, to 40 years! See my other post today, a couple of posts up, regarding international companies and Paul. His daddy warned in 1978, there abouts, that one day we would wake up and all of our children would be homeless – you can find the 3 part interview on the internet. Is that feeling a little too close to home these days?
Yes, hold those responsible accountable! But, bottom line is every group has good about it, and bad and a few have needed to be vilified through history for inhumane actins adn lust for power over all, but not most – what does that get us? It gets us Division. Isn’t this Democracy supposed to be working together toward compromise and consensus and respecting and appreciating everyone’s point of view, protecting basic rights of EVERY PERSON, finding as many win-win scenarios as possible, curbing off ultimate power of a few over the many? We have a Senate, a House and a Judicial system in between, all based on a uniquely American Constitution of the People, and by the People, and it should all work out. This Division that is strangling our government is coming from where, towards what goal, can there be anything good for the PEOPLE from it?
If working correctly, we would have found a way for the Ruby pipeline to go through AND protection for the wild horses. Why is one exclusive from another? THIS exclusivity is what seems un-American to me. I mean Corporations have obtained status of being a “person”, so they need to act and be accountable like a fellow person! We have been living in days of bulldozers, corporate bottom line profit at any expense to people, animals and earth bullies, and their lobbyists attempting to mow down everything in the way. Well, we have peacefully stood up in these last elections and with our calls and letters and rallies against them and their sad bully and intimidation ultimatum tactics like “un-American” – hello – we are doing exactly what being American is all about…
and winning for our wild horses is next – we can do it!
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yes, mr no notes-waterboarding Cheaney- set-up hundreds of taxpayer paid groups and his own Halaburton business. Set this up WELL before he left office and its almost like treason to me. I doubt this admin. even knows how many orgs. and groups from the last admin. are still working full-time to glut americas resourses and squander american tax dollars. Cheaneys ‘gang’ are using american taxes and land/sea as if america is theirs.
The Global good-old-boy gang, ruining america..no matter who is in office.
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One of my worst fears, is telling my grandchilden that I remember when we had wild life… that folks is exactly what we are headed for if these clowns are not removed. I am so furious…… Keep calling and praying.
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KEN SLALZAR – STOP DELISTING AND KILLING OUR ENDANGERED WILDLIFE, KILLING OUR WILD MUSTANGS AND TERRORIZING OUR COASTAL WATERS! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
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Amazingly, Secretary Salazar’s Minerals and Management Service approved BP’s exploration plan without any consideration of the environmental consequences of an oil spill.
That in itself says it all. Call in NASA, the Navy, The Genius’s on Big Bang Theory(the writer’s) , whatever it takes to SHUT DOWN THIS SPILL. Then take the cost from the Superannunation of every executive of BP and Secretary Salazar’s superannunation, bonus’s until the spill is contained AND CLEANED UP. They must be made to work on the clean up operation PERSONALLY. Going off sailing in clean water like the CEO of BP has done is UNACCEPTABLE.
They should be
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