1. a) Define moratorium and de facto as used in the article.
b) What moratorium imposed by the Obama administration did Interior Secretary Ken Salazar lift this week?

2. Why did the Obama administration impose the moratorium?

3. Secretary Salazar said the moratorium was lifted because new rules have strengthened safety and reduced the risk of another catastrophic oil spill. Environmental groups that support the president and the moratorium are opposed to lifting the ban. List the reasons in addition to the one given by Secretary Salazar, for why the Obama administration probably lifted the moratorium.

4. a) How many jobs were lost temporarily in the Gulf region due to the moratorium, according to a federal report?
b) The federal report states that drilling is unlikely to resume for at least a few weeks. How does industry CEO Todd Hornbeck's assessment of the situation differ from that of the federal report?

5. List the workers/jobs/companies hurt by the moratorium in addition to oil workers/companies.

6. What do you think about the moratorium on deep water oil drilling? (--Keep drilling. We need the oil. It keeps our energy costs down; --Do not permit drilling. We need to switch to wind and solar power. Oil drilling is bad for the environment; etc.)
b) Would you feel different if your family depended on deep water drilling for income? Explain your answer.