With just under two weeks remaining in his presidency, Joe Biden announced a ban on offshore drilling across 625 acres of American oceans. The move, made via executive action, is a policy most view as a direct shot at the incoming Donald Trump. Biden cited the need to “protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren” in his statement, but did not directly reference Trump’s support for offshore drilling.
Karoline Leavitt, President-Elect Trump’s choice to take over as White House Press Secretary, responded to President Biden’s move, calling it “disgraceful”. Leavitt went further, accusing “environmental extremists” of hijacking the 82-year-old Biden’s final days as president. Trump then promised to immediately undo the executive action and reopen the 625 acres of ocean to offshore drilling.
Legal experts predict that a move by Trump to reverse the action will likely end up in court. Biden enacted the executive action through a clause in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which could complicate Trump’s efforts. The act gives broader presidential authority to limiting what offshore land and waters can be used for, making Trump’s path to undoing the action more difficult. The incoming president is no stranger to using executive action to counteract his predecessor’s executive actions, as he previously attempted to stop President Barack Obama’s protections of Arctic waters in 2017 during his first term. The move did ultimately end up in court, where a Federal judge then ruled Trump’s reversal unlawful. However, with Republicans now having a slim majority in the House and the Senate and legislation to halt Biden’s order could be passed.
Other experts said that the ban on offshore drilling will not have any short-term impact on the oil and gas industry. Biden had previously sought to conserve 30% of US lands and waters by 2030 as part of his administration’s environmental policy. The ban, which primarily applies to future attempts to drill in the area, is similar to a previous policy by the Trump administration in 2020. According to experts, the drilling activity in the area most covered by Biden’s action is minimal and would likely take as much as a decade to prepare any type of mass drilling in the region.
