Biden Unveils Significant Offshore Drilling Ban Impacting 625 Million Acres of Federal Waters Before Trump’s Administration – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
9:32 AM – Monday, January 6, 2025
On Monday, President Joe Biden unveiled an executive order aimed at halting new drilling and further development of oil and natural gas across more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and offshore waters.
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Biden emphasized that he is utilizing his authority to safeguard offshore regions along the East and West coasts, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from future oil and natural gas leasing activities.
By invoking the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden has made it challenging for President-elect Donald Trump to reverse this action without congressional involvement.
“My decision aligns with the perspectives of coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers who understand that drilling in these waters poses a threat of irreversible damage to cherished locales and is not necessary for our nation’s energy supply,” Biden commented. “The associated risks are not justified. As the climate crisis poses ongoing challenges to communities nationwide and we shift toward a clean energy economy, it is crucial that we safeguard these coastlines for future generations.”
The action drew immediate criticism from Trump’s incoming White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
“This disgraceful decision is a political retaliation against the American people who gave President Trump a clear mandate to increase drilling and reduce gas prices. Be assured, Joe Biden will not succeed, and we will continue to drill,” Leavitt stated on X.
Biden claimed this step as part of his legacy in the battle against climate change.
“From my first day in office, I have set forth one of the most ambitious climate and conservation agendas ever seen in our country. Over the past four years, I have preserved more than 670 million acres of U.S. lands and waters, which is more than any other president has achieved,” Biden stated. “The impressive progress in conservation and restoration in our country has been driven by local initiatives from Tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishermen, small business owners, and outdoor recreation advocates nationwide. Our ‘America the Beautiful’ program is on track to fulfill my goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our country’s lands and waters by the year 2030.”
“We do not have to choose between safeguarding the environment and advancing our economy, nor between maintaining healthy oceans and resilient coastlines and keeping energy prices affordable,” the statement continued. “These are false dilemmas. Protecting America’s coastlines and oceans is imperative and will enable communities and the economy to thrive for future generations.”
Ron Neal, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America Offshore Committee, criticized Biden’s final offshore drilling prohibition as “significant and catastrophic.”
“This decision, while not impacting currently active production zones in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and nearby coastal regions, represents a severe assault on the oil and natural gas sector. It serves as the ‘elephant’s nose under the tent.’ The ban greatly restricts the potential for exploration and development in new areas, threatening the long-term viability of the industry,” said Neal, also the President of Houston Energy LP and CEO of HEQ Deepwater. “This move marks the initial phase of broader restrictions across our industry in all U.S. regions, including onshore. If activists are after something, they will pursue everything. This policy is disastrous for the advancement of new oil and gas regions while environmentalists may also target offshore wind farms for similar reasons. President Biden and his supporters continue to enforce anti-energy policies that will negatively impact Americans.”
During his 2024 campaign, Trump has promised to establish American “energy dominance” on a global scale by expanding U.S. oil and gas operations, distancing himself from Biden’s focus on climate change initiatives.
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