Deepwater drilling to resume

The federal government has lifted its ban on deepwater oil and gas drilling just weeks before a mid-term election.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar's decision puts an early end to what was supposed to have been a six-month moratorium.

“We believe the strengthened safety measures we have implemented, along with improved spill response and blowout containment capabilities, have reduced risks,” Salazar said in a release.

Salazar first suspended deepwater drilling on July 12. The ban was originally slated to expire on Nov. 30, exactly seven weeks from the date of today's lifting.

“More needs to be done,” Salazar said, “but we believe the risks of deepwater drilling have been reduced sufficiently to allow drilling under existing and new regulations.”