Biden Secures Coasts with Sweeping Offshore Drilling Ban

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas development along most U.S. coastlines. This move aligns with his climate agenda and aims to conserve federal waters. Despite potential challenges from future administrations, the decision reflects broad public support for coastline protection.

In a landmark policy shift, President Joe Biden has imposed a ban on new offshore oil and gas development across a majority of U.S. coastlines. The decision, announced Monday, aligns with Biden's climate change agenda and commitment to conserve 30% of the nation's lands and waters by 2030.

The expansive ban, leveraging the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, covers all federal waters off the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the northern Bering Sea. Biden justified the move by referencing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill's impacts and the low drilling potential of these areas.

Critics, including industry groups, argue that the ban threatens energy security and call for congressional intervention. In contrast, environmentalists celebrate the decision as a triumph for clean coastlines and future generations. The ban's permanence could pose challenges for President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to reverse Biden’s climate policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)