House keeps ocean drilling ban in place

Although the House has voted to maintain a ban on offshore drilling for natural gas in 85% of the outer continental shelf, proponents of wider coastal leasing say momentum is on their side as Republican leaders prepare to bring an energy package to the floor next month. On May 18, the House voted 217 to 203 to overturn Rep. John Peterson's (R-Pa.) successful effort in the Appropriations Committee a week earlier to exempt natural gas from a congressional drilling moratorium that has been in place since 1981. An identical proposal by Peterson was defeated by 105 votes a year ago when he offered it on the House floor. American Chemistry Council President Jack N. Gerard says there has been "a seismic shift" on Capitol Hill in understanding the consequences of persistently high natural gas prices. "The tide is turning in the natural gas debate," Gerard says. "It is no longer if Congress will address the crisis, but when." House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) says he intends to bring up for a vote in June energy legislation that will likely include a less ambitious plan allowing states to "opt out" of existing offshore drilling bans on both natural gas and oil.