The Biden administration is taking action to appeal a federal judge's order that stonewalled its suspension of new leases for oil and gas on federal land and water, including those in the Gulf of Mexico.
Reportedly taking bureaucratic shortcuts to impose the leasing freeze moratorium, Biden is accused by 12 states of forgoing comment periods and other required steps, Offshore Mag reported.
While the Department of the Interior acknowledged the environmental impact caused by the federal oil and gas leases through greenhouse gas admissions, the DOI will reportedly comply with U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty's order to resume leasing.
"Federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing programs are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions and growing climate and community impacts," The Department of the Interior said in a statement. "Yet the current programs fail to adequately incorporate consideration of climate impacts into leasing decisions or reflect the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions, including, for example, in royalty rates."
The American Petroleum Institute and other oil industry trade groups have filed suit in the challenge of the leasing freeze.
“Interior will proceed with leasing consistent with the district court’s injunction during the appeal," the DOI said. "In complying with the district court’s mandate, Interior will continue to exercise the authority and discretion provided under the law to conduct leasing in a manner that takes into account the program’s many deficiencies. Separately, (the) Interior continues to review the programs’ noted shortcomings, including completing a report. The Department also will undertake a programmatic analysis to address what changes in the Department’s programs may be necessary to meet the President’s targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and achieving (net-zero) greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."
To read the Department of Interior's full statement, click here.
