In a reversal, the Obama administration says it will not pursue offshore drilling in waters off the east coast of the U.S. including the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A senior administration official told The Associated Press on Wednesday that because of the BP oil spill, the Interior Department will not propose any new oil drilling in the East Coast for at least the next seven years. Obama's earlier plan -- announced in March, three weeks before the April BP spill -- would have allowed drilling from the state of Delaware to central Florida, plus the northern waters of Alaska. The new plan allows drilling in Alaska, but officials said they will move cautiously before approving any leases. 