By Divine Sam
In the final days of President Joe Biden’s term, he has implemented a sweeping ban on offshore drilling across significant areas of U.S. coastal waters. This ban affects the entire Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, and a part of the Bering Sea off Alaska. The ban protects over 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of coastal waters from future drilling activities.
Biden’s decision appears to be in direct opposition to the fossil fuel expansion policies promised by Donald Trump during his campaign. Trump had vowed to increase domestic fossil fuel production to lower gas prices, but Biden’s move to block offshore drilling is positioned as part of his broader climate agenda, aimed at addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to a clean energy economy.
Biden’s statement on the ban emphasizes environmental protection, asserting that the fossil fuel potential in the banned areas is minimal compared to the potential public health and environmental risks that drilling would pose. He also highlighted the importance of preserving these coasts for future generations.
The legal framework for the ban rests on the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which grants the federal government authority over offshore resources. However, it is not clear if a future president can easily reverse such a ban without congressional approval, making the move potentially difficult for Trump to undo if he returns to office in 2025.
Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, criticized the decision, labeling it a politically motivated action designed to retaliate against Trump’s mandate from the American people to increase drilling and reduce gas prices. Biden’s move adds to his series of policy decisions that have been seen as efforts to counteract some of Trump’s actions, including a halt to Trump’s mass deportation plans in late December 2024.
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