Republican-led states file suit against Biden administration for offshore drilling ban

A group of Republican states filed a suit on Friday to challenge a ban on offshore oil and natural gas development announced earlier this month by the outgoing Democratic U.S. president Joe Biden.

According to a court document, the lawsuit is seeking a reversal Biden's prohibition with declaratory and judicial relief. The filing argues that Biden does not have the authority or power to impose a such a restriction and that this authority belongs to the U.S. Congress.

Biden's announcement on January 6 was largely symbolic as it won't impact areas where oil-and-gas development is already underway. It will mainly cover zones where drillers don’t have any important prospects. This includes the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Biden stated that the ban would affect 625,000,000 acres (253,000,000 hectares) and was in line his climate change agenda. The Biden administration had no immediate comments. It leaves office Jan. 20, when Donald Trump, the Republican president-elect, takes over.

In the lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Biden and Interior Sec. Deb Haaland were named as defendants. The plaintiffs included the states of Louisiana and Alabama. Two trade groups are also plaintiffs - the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Gulf Energy Alliance.

Trump said that he would move quickly to lift the ban, but it could be difficult for him to do so.

According to a court ruling in 2019, the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act gives presidents the authority to remove certain areas from mineral leases and drilling, but not to reverse previous bans. This means that a change would require a congressional act.

Trump said that he would go to court, if needed.

(source: Reuters)