Hoo. BP’s planning on restarting deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico on 10 wells this summer; U.S. regulators seem to be giving it the go-ahead in exchange for tougher safety rules. In unrelated news, President Obama promised last week to cut U.S. oil imports by 33%

Gulf of Mexico drilling was put to a halt after the April 20, 2010 accident that released a little over 750 million liters of oil into the Gulf of Mexico – the largest oil spill in U.S. history, but don’t worry because they’re bringing those same guys back to take another shot at it. Granted, new terms would require BP to give U.S. regulators 24-hour access to deepwater wells, and exploratory drilling would be curbed for the moment, but if that doesn’t comfort you entirely I think I understand.

Said Greenpeace spokesman Charlie Kronick:

“It has been a year now and 80 percent of that oil is still somewhere in the sea,” There is nothing different about the situation now other than regulators may keep a slightly beadier eye on operations.”

Chin-chin.

[MSNBC]