President Joe Biden has announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling in large swaths of US federal waters — the most significant environmental step his administration has taken. The establishment of this directive covers both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico and parts of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea, which alone collectively safeguards more than 625 million acres from any future energy exploration.
Exercising his powers under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden stated that the potential national economic and environmental costs of these projects are likely to exceed the national economic and environmental benefits. The East and West Coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s northern Bering Sea are being shielded from oil and gas drilling, he said adding These areas are simply not worth the risk.
The decision is consistent with the administration’s climate agenda and the commitment to conserve 30% of US lands and waters by 2030. The regions are home to rich marine life that bolsters local economies reliant on fishing, recreation, and tourism. According to The White House bipartisan support for such protective measures was reflected in the reply of nearly every governor along the East and West Coasts in concerns expressed over offshore drilling.
The ban has no expiration date, making it harder for future administrations to undo. According to AP News reported by the Hill, legal experts say the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act gives the president the power to withdraw areas from leasing but undoing those withdrawals would probably require legislation.
Environmental groups have cheered the move while it has met opposition from the oil and gas industry. Critics say the ban would stifle energy exploration and economic growth, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico — a traditional hotspot for offshore drilling. But according to Reuters, the administration references a transition to clean energy and awkwardly, avoiding another environmental disaster like the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010.
That work complemented a series of actions taken in recent months by President Biden to reinstate protections he had already rolled back, such as the restoration of protections over portions of the Northern Bering Sea and the withdrawal of areas in the Arctic Ocean from future oil and gas leasing. These actions mean that President Biden has now protected more than any other US president in history—more than 670 million acres of land and water.
Chevron Hits Technical Milestone for Its Anchor Project in the Gulf of Mexico In other industry news, Chevron Corp. The $5.7 billion project has begun pumping oil with facilities designed to operate at record pressures of up to 20,000 pounds per square inch. A Reuters report states that this development could release around 300,000 barrels per day of new oil for projects in the area and find oil that has been previously out of reach.
The tension between energy production and preservation remains a hot topic of national conversation, almost a week after the administration announced plans to re-establish its environmental agenda.
