Written by Amanda McElfresh The Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce has supported the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the filing urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reject a challenge to the federal offshore permitting process that could halt all offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Chamber, along with 36 other industry groups—including the Lafayette Chamber—weighed in on a lawsuit brought by environmental groups challenging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s approval of an exploration plan proposed by Shell for the Gulf of Mexico, one of the first offshore exploration plans approved after the Secretary of the Interior lifted the offshore drilling moratorium in October 2010. Rob Guidry, President / CEO of the Lafayette Chamber joined Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, in issuing the following statement: “Now that oil and natural gas production is finally resuming in the Gulf of Mexico, environmental groups are once again seeking to put the Gulf out of work. We cannot afford a ‘just say no’ energy policy. Every drop of oil we produce in the Gulf generates investment in the U.S and reduces our dependence on oil from unstable regions. In addition, if successful, this lawsuit could put tens of thousands of Americans out of work at a time when unemployment is already far too high."