Oilfield Workers Wife Argues Against Moratorium

Barbie George's husband works on a Transocean oil rig. His job allows her to home school their son and the insurance pays for her critical medical care. But in light of the oil rig explosion that's responsible for spewing thousands barrels  of oil into the gulf  each day----his industry is now at the center of the biggest environmental disaster in history.

Oil field wife Barbie George said, "We all knew it was possible but this brought it to reality. "

That realization led her to join the oilfield wives association.  They're a  group of 1200 women from across the country  who's husbands work on oil rigs. They started as a support group, sharing tips on potty training, recipes and remedies for loneliness. But now that the president is pushing a moratorium on deep water drilling,  they're leaning on one another more than ever.

George said, "You know we've got families in our group that just signed contracts on their homes.  We've got a couple of families that have just adopted a baby, and we've got 9 or 10 that are expecting. so its going to be a lot of families hurt."

George started this petition urging the white house to abandon the ban. Its been signed by some women who were widowed by the explosion.

George said, "If anyone should not support drilling because  of this, it should be those immediately affected by it and they still support it."

George says she's been fortunate, her husbands company hasn't laid anyone off yet. But she fears a 6 month moratorium would push rigs overseas and leave thousands of  workers jobless in a devastated economy.