If you were a local attorney...

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Sure you would, it doesn't mean you agree with thier actions, it means you are representing them to the best of your abilities under the law.

And you would get rich off of years of litigation and lawsuits.

And, defending clients is what lawyers do. There are 1000's of people working and getting paid by BP right now helping them clean up the spill, why would a lawyer be different?

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This. Plus, I would make them pay a fat retainer, just in case they decide to go the bankruptcy route.

I get a hard-on just thinking about it.

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Life is about Bull shite walking and Money Talking

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word

Good luck w/ that. Market is tight as a snare drum right now.

Dude it's just a job.

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Representing rich oil companies who make enourmous profits without regard to the safety of their workers or the environment is not something I would be proud of

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You should be. Those oil companies essentially make our lives in an industrial society possible. Back before oil, cities were polluted and disease-ridden due to all the horse manure in the streets, for example.

Yes. They can file an mandamus action to compel the MMS to essentially do its job. However, there is no guarantee of success because such agencies are typically vested with pretty wide discretion in issuing such permits. Still, it would not be completely fruitless either, as court do issue such orders (see, e.g., courts ordering the issuance of building permits, alcohol permits, etc.).

I don't know the nuts and bolts, but there is likely an administrative process that must be exhausted first; however, those usually only come into play when a permit application is denied. In this case, there are no permits being issued, which would seem to take it out of that regime.

The company would file a complaint/petition in a US District Court (depending on how the permitting process works, it could be in the USDC with jurisdiction over the particular regional office, or it could be with the DC court). One could request expedited consideration (as was done with the moratorium [since an injunction was requested]); however, the process would take a few months at least.

In response to "its just a job" or we should be beholden to oil companies just because of our reliance on fossel fuels I say two things:
First, working in a sewer pit is just a job, but it isn't something I want to do, nor will I do.
Second, just because we , as a society , are reliant on fossel fuels doesn't mean that companies that drill for oil have a license to kill/maim their workers or destroy the environment for the rest of us without being held accountable.