This decision impacts 625 million acres of ocean, encompassing federal waters off the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s northern Bering Sea.
Invoking the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a 70-year-old statute, Biden emphasized the risks of offshore drilling, citing the devastating 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He stated the affected areas offer minimal drilling potential, rendering future leases unnecessary to meet energy needs. “Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden remarked.
According to Biden, the move is aligned with his efforts to combat climate change and his goal to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
This ban, however, is largely “symbolic” according to Reuters, as it does not impact areas with active oil and gas production, such as the Gulf of Mexico, which accounts for 15% of U.S. oil output. Moreover it covers areas that are not prime locations for drilling in any case.
The U.S. remains the world’s top oil and gas producer, driven by onshore developments in states like Texas and New Mexico.
The decision, lauded by environmentalists, faces criticism from the oil and gas industry. Oceana, an environmental group, celebrated the ban as a victory for clean coastlines and sustainable fisheries. Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute urged Congress to reverse what it called a “politically motivated decision,” arguing it jeopardizes energy security.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office later this month, has vowed to overturn Biden’s climate policies. A 2019 court ruling states that a presidential decision to withdraw areas from drilling under the Lands Act will need congressional approval, which Trump will have control of when he becomes president of the U.S. this month.
Trump has promised to “unban” the restrictions immediately, yet legal and legislative hurdles may delay or prevent such action. His administration previously used the Lands Act to extend protections in the eastern Gulf of Mexico until 2032, underscoring the complexity of altering federal leasing policies.
