Biden Bans Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

US President Joe Biden has issued two memoranda aimed at enforcing broad protections for US waters from further oil and gas drilling.

The two “presidential memoranda” issued by Biden on Monday exempt all areas of the outer continental shelf off the country’s east and west coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the northern Bering Sea in Alaska from future oil and gas drilling, and the memoranda will remain in effect indefinitely.

“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses and beachgoers have long known: offshore drilling can cause irreparable damage to the places we cherish, and it is not necessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risk,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we transition to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren,” Biden added.