Groups sue Obama administration over drilling approval

Groups sue Obama administration over drilling approval

(Reuters) – Environmental activists are suing the Obama administration over its approval of a Royal Dutch Shell Plc plan to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

The suit, filed one day after Exxon Mobil Corp announced two big new oil discoveries in the Gulf, could signal a lengthy fight over the resumption of drilling near the site of last year’s BP Plc oil spill.

Oil exploration in the Gulf was halted after the spill, though drilling has gradually resumed since the administration began approving new permits in February.

6/9/11