The Biden administration has suspended new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits on U.S. lands and waters for 60 days as officials move to reverse the energy and environmental policies of the Trump administration.
The suspension announced Thursday follows campaign pledges by President Joe Biden to halt new drilling on U.S. lands and end the leasing of federal energy reserves as part of his plan to address climate change.
Western Energy Alliance sent The Crude Life this reaction to the announcement by the Department of the Interior intended to ban oil and natural gas leasing and permitting on federal lands for 60 days. The following quote is attributable to Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma:
“Today’s announcement is intended as a temporary ban on leasing and permitting, but is also a precursor to a longer-term ban. The Acting Secretary recognizes the limits of his authority, and in actuality, the order has simply taken away the authority to lease and permit from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and put it on himself. The requirements to hold quarterly lease sales and process permits remain a mandate in law, and cannot just be put aside with the stroke of a pen. We fully expect the Acting Secretary will indeed not fulfill his duties under the Mineral Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act, and are prepared to challenge this intended ban in court at the appropriate time.
“Unfortunately, oil and natural gas development in most of the West is virtually impossible without touching some federal land and minerals, no matter how hard a company tries. A ban on leasing and permitting is a death sentence to the industry in the West. If Pres. Biden makes good on his promised ban, he’ll sacrifice the jobs of 72,000 westerners, $44 billion in GDP, and over $5 billion in conservation funding in his first term alone.”
Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), a member of the House Energy Action Team sent The Crude Life the following statement.
“Energy production on federal lands in North Dakota supports thousands of jobs and provides millions of dollars for our schools, hospitals, roads, and conservation. This misguided effort will crush a critical segment of our country’s economy, increase reliance on foreign energy, and weaken our national security. I call on the Biden Administration to support responsible energy development on our public lands.”
Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent The Crude Life the following statement after the Biden administration issued a moratorium on new federal oil, gas and coal permits.
“The moratorium placed on new federal oil, gas and coal permits harms our ability to produce energy domestically, especially in western states like North Dakota, where there is a significant presence of federal land. This kind of heavy-handed regulatory approach raises prices for consumers, increases our reliance on foreign energy sources and undermines the environmental goals of this administration as it prevents the construction of the infrastructure needed to capture natural gas and prevent flaring. Instead of increasing our dependence on countries with less stringent environmental standards, we should be producing more energy at home with better environmental stewardship. To this end, we will continue working to advance regulatory relief and new innovative technologies.”
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