Biden Permanently Bans Offshore Drilling, Defying Trump Reversal
President Biden issued an executive order permanently banning future offshore oil and gas leasing across 625 million acres of US ocean waters, citing environmental concerns and arguing the ban is unnecessary to meet national energy needs. This action, invoking the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, is designed to be difficult for a future administration to reverse, requiring congressional action. While the oil industry and some Republicans strongly opposed the move, the administration maintains the ban will have little economic impact and enjoys bipartisan support from coastal communities and governors. The decision builds on prior presidential actions to protect coastal areas from offshore drilling.
John Q. Hosedrinker