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 The nine justices refused to hear an appeal filed by Hornbeck
Offshore Services LLC, a drilling company subsidiary of Hornbeck
Offshore Services Inc, and other businesses affected by a moratorium
on deep sea drilling that the federal government imposed in May
2010. The federal appeals court ruling that overturned a federal
district judge's contempt finding remains intact.
In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig, owned by Transocean Ltd
and leased by BP PLC, exploded, causing 11 deaths and a massive oil
spill.
The Interior Department's temporary drilling moratorium was
immediately challenged by the drilling industry, prompting U.S.
District Judge Martin Feldman of the Eastern District of Louisiana
to rule in June 2010 that the government could not enforce it.
Despite the court order, the moratorium remained in effect in a
modified fashion until October 2010.
The following year, Feldman held the government in contempt for
violating his order and said it must pay almost $530,000 in legal
fees to the companies that challenged the moratorium.
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In an April 2013 ruling, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals reversed Feldman's ruling. It said that although
the government had violated the spirit of his order, its actions did
not technically violate it. The companies then sought high court
review.
The case is Hornbeck v. Jewell, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 13-56.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; editing
by Howard Goller and Jeffrey Benkoe)
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