President Joe Biden in a move that’s been seen as a direct challenge to Donald Trump’s energy policies has banned offshore drilling across a massive area of US coastal waters.
This decision, announced just weeks before Trump’s inauguration, protects over 625 million acres of coastal water, including the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
President Joe Biden’s decision is rooted in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to a clean energy economy.
He emphasized that the environmental, public health, and economic risks associated with offshore drilling far outweigh any potential benefits.
This move is also seen as a way to safeguard the country’s coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies.
The President Joe Biden’s ban, which doesn’t have an end date, could be difficult for Trump to overturn, as it’s backed by the US Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953.
This law gives the federal government authority over offshore resources, but doesn’t provide a clear mechanism for reversing a drilling ban without congressional approval.
Trump’s team has already criticized the move, with incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it “a disgraceful decision designed to exact political revenge on the American people.”
However, environmental groups have welcomed the ban, hailing it as a major victory for ocean conservation.
