Biden Bans Oil Drilling In 625 Million Acres Of Offshore Areas

President Joe Biden has invoked the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to protect 625 million acres of offshore areas from future oil and gas drilling, the White House announced.

President-elect Donald Trump may need congressional action to overturn Biden’s decision.

The action safeguards regions off the East and West Coasts, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska's North Bering Sea.

The OCSLA grants presidents the authority to permanently withdraw parts of the Outer Continental Shelf from future fossil fuel leasing but lacks a clear mechanism for reversal by successors.

As a result, President-elect Donald Trump may need congressional action to overturn Biden’s decision, according to reports by Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) and the Daily Beast.

Criticizing the ban, Trump pledged to immediately "unban" drilling upon taking office on January 20. "It's ridiculous. I'll unban it immediately. I will unban it. I have the right to unban it immediately," he told ABC News's Good Morning America.

Biden defended the ban, stating, “Drilling in these areas could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks.”

He emphasized the importance of transitioning to a clean energy economy to combat the climate crisis and protect the environment for future generations, as reported by Reuters and the Associated Press (AP).