Biden Bans Offshore Drilling Before Trump Takes Office

President Joe Biden has imposed a sweeping ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the US coastline, including the entire Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as parts of the Bering Sea off Alaska. The decision comes weeks before former President Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

The ban, implemented under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, blocks new offshore drilling leases but does not affect areas already leased. The law grants US presidents the authority to withdraw regions from future oil and gas leasing but does not permit reversals of previous bans without congressional approval. A 2019 federal court ruling confirmed that such reversals would likely require legislative action. Since Congress is currently controlled by Trump's Republican Party, any reversal attempt could face significant political challenges.

Biden justified the ban by emphasizing environmental concerns and the interests of coastal communities. "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," Biden said.

Trump has strongly criticized the move, calling it "ridiculous" in a radio interview and pledging to revoke it once in office. However, the legal framework in place may complicate any immediate action. During his campaign, Trump promised to "unleash" domestic fossil fuel production to reduce gas prices, despite US oil production already being at record levels.

According to the BBC, Trump has previously used the same legal authority to protect certain waters, including areas off the coast of Florida, during his 2020 campaign. However, his administration largely supported expanded oil and gas exploration, often using the slogan "Drill, baby, drill."