US President Joe Biden has enacted a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along the majority of America’s coastline, just weeks before Donald Trump assumes office.
The ban encompasses the entire Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as a portion of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
This action forms part of a series of climate-related policies introduced by the Biden administration in the final stages of his presidency, ahead of Trump’s return to the White House. While Trump has pledged to immediately overturn the ban upon taking office, reversing the measure could present legal challenges under US law.
Trump, who campaigned on increasing domestic fossil fuel production to reduce gas prices despite the US already reaching record extraction levels, described Biden’s move as “ridiculous” in a radio interview, vowing to lift the ban instantly. However, Biden defended the decision, stating that drilling in these coastal regions could cause irreparable damage to vital ecosystems and was unnecessary to meet the nation’s energy demands.
“It is not worth the risks,” Biden remarked.
The ban is being enforced under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which grants US presidents the authority to withdraw areas from mineral leasing and drilling. However, a 2019 court ruling clarified that the Act does not permit a president to reverse existing bans, making any reversal reliant on congressional approval—now controlled by Trump’s Republican Party. Additionally, the Act prohibits the revocation of areas already leased for offshore drilling.
Despite his pro-fossil fuel stance, Trump had used the same legal framework in 2020 to protect Florida’s waters, a move interpreted as an effort to secure votes in the state during the presidential election. Biden’s ban, which also extends to these waters, will offer permanent protection.
The new ban affects over 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of water, safeguarding these areas from future drilling activities. Environmental groups have welcomed the decision. Joseph Gordon of the conservation group Oceana called it “an epic ocean victory” and praised the protection of coastal communities for future generations.
In contrast, the oil and gas industry has expressed concern that the ban undermines US energy security. Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute, criticised the decision, urging Congress to overturn it and restore a more energy-friendly approach.
Trump, during his first term, attempted to revoke former President Barack Obama’s protection of 125 million acres (50.6 million hectares) of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. However, a 2019 US District Court ruling confirmed that such a reversal was not permitted under the law. Legal battles over Biden’s decision are expected to continue, with the Supreme Court, currently holding a conservative majority, likely to make the final ruling.
Environmentalists and Democrats had strongly advocated for this ban, citing concerns over its potential to undermine efforts to curb US greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. The International Energy Agency has warned that global oil and gas demand must fall by 5% annually to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, a target seen as critical to preventing the most severe impacts of climate change.
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