A federal judge in New Orleans has blocked a moratorium that would stop deep water drilling projects.

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans overturned the ban Tuesday, saying the government simply assumed that because one rig exploded, the others pose an imminent danger, too.

The White House promised an immediate appeal of his decision.

The Interior Department had imposed the moratorium last month in the wake of the BP disaster, halting approval of any new permits for deepwater projects and suspending drilling on 33 exploratory wells.

CNN’s Brian Todd has been following the story and says the judge’s decision was a complete surprise, but has shocked some.

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