LA Lawmakers Disputing New Report That Moratorium Has Not Increased Unemployment

Posted: Sep 16, 2010 11:59 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - Louisiana lawmakers are disputing a new report
from the Obama administration that says deepwater drilling
moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico has not increased unemployment in
the region.
The report was released at a Senate hearing today. It says the
moratorium imposed after the BP oil spill might have temporarily
cost 8,000 to 12,000 jobs on oil rigs and elsewhere. But it found
no net job loss in the region -- thanks in part to a big hiring
push for cleanup crews and massive spending by BP on the recovery
effort.
The scenario is far rosier than described in some previous
reports, including an Interior Department estimate that said there
could be 23,000 jobs lost from the moratorium.
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is among those
attacking the report's accuracy.

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