Biden issues mass offshore drilling ban weeks before Trump’s return to White House
The ban covers the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific coast off California, Oregon, and Washington, and part of the Bering Sea off Alaska
US President Joe Biden on Monday banned offshore drilling across an immense area of coastal waters, weeks before Donald Trump takes office.
Among Trump’s campaign pledges was to massively increase fossil fuel production.
The ban encompasses the entire Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Pacific coast off California, Oregon and Washington, and a section of the Bering Sea off Alaska.
A White House statement said the declaration protected more than 625 million acres (253 million hectares) of waters.
“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country, and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” Biden said in a statement.
“In balancing the many uses and benefits of America’s ocean, it is clear to me that the relatively minimal fossil fuel potential in the areas I am withdrawing do not justify the environmental, public health, and economic risks that would come from new leasing and drilling,” he added.
