"WASHINGTON - A coalition of environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Interior Department’s rollbacks of safety measures put in place by the Obama administration in the aftermath of the fatal 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The lawsuit filed in a federal district court in California alleges that the agency disregarded the evidence and expert findings that underpinned the 2016 Well Control and Blowout Preventer Rule when it revised and repealed those safety measures, and was not transparent when drafting the replacement.
The oil and gas industry has pressed for changes to what they regard as burdensome performance standards for blowout preventers, or safety valves designed to automatically seal a well in the event of a blowout. The rule also called for real-time monitoring, third-party reviews of equipment, regular inspections and safe drilling margin requirements. "
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