Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Monday imposed a ban on offshore drilling in a vast area of US coastal waters. It comes just weeks before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, who has promised to massively boost domestic energy production.
According to a statement from the White House, the ban covers the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast of California, Oregon and Washington, and a portion of the Bering Sea near Alaska.
President Biden said the move is consistent with both his climate change agenda and his goal of conserving 30 percent of US lands and waters by 2030. The prohibition would affect 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of ocean.
The President also referenced the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and said the reduced drilling potential of the areas included in the ban does not justify the public health and economic risks of future leasing.
Mr Biden said in a statement, “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have long known: Drilling on these coasts can cause irreversible damage to the places we hold dear. and is unnecessary to meet our country’s energy needs.” ,
“It’s not worth the risk,” he said.
During his tenure, Mr. Biden has limited new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters, which has drawn criticism from drilling states and companies.
Trump promises to increase oil and gas production in America
President-elect Trump has promised to reverse Mr Biden’s conservation and climate change policies when he takes office later this month. The Republican has been a vocal supporter of America’s oil and gas industry and has promised to increase petroleum production while bringing back green alternatives.
His campaign slogan, “Drill, Baby, Drill” has become synonymous with his plan to reverse climate policies aimed at boosting fossil fuel production in the US and reducing carbon emissions.
Earlier, Mr Trump has said he would “terminate” the Inflation Reduction Act and issue an executive order “to make sure (offshore wind) is gone on day one”.
“From day one, I will approve new drilling, new pipelines, new refiners, new power plants, new reactors, and we will cut out the red tape,” he said in early September 2024.
Can Trump reverse the decision?
The White House said on Monday that Mr Biden would use his authority under the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to issue the restrictions. This act allows presidents to withdraw territory from mineral leasing and drilling.
However, according to a 2019 court ruling, this does not give them the legal authority to overturn prior sanctions.
That 2019 order came in response to Donald Trump’s effort to reverse Arctic and Atlantic Ocean evacuations ordered by former President Barack Obama at the end of his presidency.
Even Mr. Trump used the law to ban the sale of offshore drilling rights in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida by 2032. Mr Biden’s decision would protect the same area without any end.
Reactions to Biden’s move
An oil and gas industry trade group said the decision would harm U.S. energy security and should be reversed by Congress.
Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement, “We urge policymakers to use every tool at their disposal to reverse this politically motivated decision and restore a pro-American energy approach to federal leasing. We do.”
Environmental group Oceana called it a victory for Americans who depend on clean coastlines and fisheries.
“Our precious coastal communities are now safe for future generations,” Oceana campaign director Joseph Gordon said in a statement.
