President Trump has lifted some of former President Biden’s efforts to restrict oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters — though his move could face court hurdles.
Trump’s decision comes as part of a larger executive order that undoes dozens of Biden-era policies.
His new executive order seeks to rescind Biden’s recent order to block 625 million acres offshore from oil and gas drilling — including the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
It additionally revokes a March order that blocked 2.8 million acres in the Arctic Ocean from oil and gas drilling.
It comes as Trump has promised broadly to “drill baby drill.” He also promised to undo Biden’s last-minute order.
However, the legality of putting these areas back on the table for new drilling could be complicated.
During his first term, Trump tried to undo a similar move to protect certain areas from drilling issued under former President Obama. At the time, Trump was stopped by a judge, who ruled that the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act gives presidents the right to block drilling in certain areas but not to reinstate it.
