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Appeals court denies US government's bid to keep offshore drilling moratorium
by legitgov
illing in the Gulf while the legal fight continues. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled soon after an afternoon hearing in a lawsuit filed by companies that oppose the drilling ban. The moratorium was struck down June 22 by U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman. The Interior Department argued the moratorium was necessary while it studied deepwater drilling risks in the wake of the BP oil spill gusher.