17 Oil Drilling Permits Issaed Since BP Oil Spill Began

~

A Drilling Moratorium That Isn't

Despite the announcement of a moratorium on offshore oil drilling, the federal regulators are still granting drilling permits.

The Minerals Management Service has issued at least 17 permits for new drilling since the BP disaster began.

At least four of those are for wells in water over 9,000 feet deep -- nearly twice as deep at the Deepwater Horizon well that is still spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

~