"Tom Sixkiller" wrote in message
...

What about drillings? I recall (my memory started to go longggg before I
hit
50) that the only new drillings are off shore, and that is so restricted
by
EPA (and other alphabet soup) that it has to be an EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD
reading before they spend the money. Any idea of the ratio of cost of
drilling to cost of government paperwork and bureaucratic BS? :~)


Offshore rigs are extremely expensive to build and operate. This surely has
an effect on how many are constructed.

Sure they are regulated. The damage potential to the environment from them
is large and besides the environment itself, entire local economies can be
ruined for long periods of time when an accident occurs.

Perhaps it would be a good first step if the oil companies would step up to
the plate and offer to fully compensate other parties for all damage that
occurs due to their operations, including reduction in property values.

I am not against oil companies and progress but I do think that every
company must take responsibility for their actions and effects and the costs
of their operations on others. Only when all externalities are internalized
can the most efficient economic choices be made.