Biden Bans Offshore Drilling Across U.S. Waters as Trump Vows to Reverse Policies
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Monday a sweeping ban on offshore drilling, covering vast stretches of American coastal waters, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The prohibition spans the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Bering Sea, safeguarding 625 million acres of ocean under the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Biden linked the decision to his climate change goals and conservation efforts, highlighting risks to public health and the environment, referencing the catastrophic 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. “It is not worth the risks,” Biden stated, emphasizing the need to protect coastal communities and ecosystems from irreversible damage.
Environmental groups hailed the move as a victory for clean coastlines, while the oil and gas industry criticized it as detrimental to energy security.
Incoming President Trump, a staunch advocate for fossil fuel expansion, has pledged to reverse Biden’s climate and energy policies. Trump has vowed to approve new drilling, pipelines, and power plants while rolling back green initiatives like offshore wind projects.
However, legal precedents suggest that Biden’s ban may be challenging to overturn, further intensifying the policy clash between the two administrations.
