Biden Administration halts oil and gas drilling on vast lands.
The Biden Administration Protects Rare Whale Habitat, Blocks Oil and Gas Lease Sale
The Biden administration has taken a significant step in protecting the environment by blocking off millions of acres of federal waters from a planned oil and gas lease sale. This decision comes after reaching a settlement with environmental groups over habitat protections for a rare species of whale.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on August 23rd that it will offer around 67 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling as part of Lease Sale 261. However, this is approximately 9 percent, or 6.4 million acres, less than BOEM’s original proposal. The reduction in acreage is a result of the settlement with environmental groups, which temporarily pauses ongoing litigation over environmental protections in the Gulf of Mexico. In exchange for this pause, the habitat of Rice’s whale will be excluded from any lease sales.
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This decision has been praised by environmental groups, who see it as a crucial step in protecting the habitat of the rare whale. However, representatives of the oil and gas industry have criticized the exclusions, calling them “unfounded” and claiming that they will unnecessarily hinder domestic energy production.
Even some lawmakers have voiced their objections to the exclusions. Senator Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressed his concerns about the administration prioritizing radical environmentalists over American energy security and the impact on American families.
“This Administration continues to kowtow to radical environmentalists at the expense of American energy security and costs to American families,” said Mr. Manchin in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times.
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