Federal gov delay in getting oil drilling permits

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/092008dntexoil.29604f.html

Trying to cope with the biggest Texas oil boom in more than two decades, industry advocates and state regulators are seeking emergency government funding to handle an ever-growing backlog of drilling permits.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which once regulated railroads but now oversees the oil and gas industry, is asking for an emergency appropriation of $750,000. Officials say they need the money to process permits and reduce bureaucratic delays.

"This is to help with a backlog that we're experiencing in various drilling permits and other permits," said commission spokeswoman Ramona Nye. "We haven't seen these kinds of drilling permit numbers since 1985, in the last boom." Officials expect to issue 29,000 permits this year, an increase of almost 50 percent from 2007. In 1985, there were 30,778 permits issued.

Oil industry advocates say they have grown increasingly frustrated with the long waits for government approval to explore for oil at a time of soaring energy prices. Processing times for regular drilling permits has soared to an average of 40 days, up from a wait of 14-21 days in 2007. The delay for expedited permits has doubled to two weeks, up from about a week one year ago, according to agency figures.

They pretty much know it's there, they just have to crunch the #'s to decide if it's worth going after. I could find more than a dozen sites in a two mile radius from my home. If you don't remember, PA was where the oil and gas industries started.

WHO on the federal level is slowing the process down?? Are any of them those in the chimp regime who keep insisting "drill here, dril now" in media soundbites?
And where else are the permits being delayed?
Guess it would be kinda hard to keep chimp's Saudi friend happy if his regime were issuing these permits in a timely manner, allowing the US to say "we don't asm uch of your oil as we have in the past, thanks, we just drilled HERE and got our own".