Biden moves to ban offshore oil, gas drilling along US coastlines
US President Joe Biden speaks at a Christmas for All Dinner in Celebration of Unity, America, and Special Olympics, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, Dec. 10, 2024. (AFP Photo)
U.S. President Joe Biden announced Monday that he is moving to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the country’s coastlines.
“I am taking action to protect the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from oil and natural gas drilling and the harm it can cause,” Biden said in a statement.
The executive action will ban new oil and gas leasing across 625 million acres of U.S. ocean.
Biden said that over the last four years, he has conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks,” he said.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump on Monday vowed to reverse the ban when he takes office on Jan. 20.
“It’s ridiculous. I’ll unban it immediately. I will unban it. I have the right to unban it immediately,” Trump said on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
