Biden blocks drilling in Northern Bering Sea off Alaska
U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on oil and gas leasing in the Northern Bering Sea off Alaska, as well as other parts of the coastal U.S, on Monday.
In addition to the northwestern Arctic waters, the ban also applies to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.
More than 625 million acres of U.S. oceans will now be closed to offshore drilling, the White House said in a news release.
“It is not worth the risks,” Biden said in a statement.
“As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”
Trump vows to reverse executive orders
Biden issued the ban under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, stating that the initiative responds to concerns raised by Indigenous communities in Alaska, many of whom still practice subsistence hunting and rely on the waters and lands for food and transportation.
“It is clear to me that the relatively minimal fossil fuel potential in the areas I am withdrawing do not justify the environmental, public health, and economic risks that would come from new leasing and drilling,” Biden said.
The ban has no expiration date and comes just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in, with expanded oil and gas drilling in Alaska as a central part of his Arctic policy.
Although Trump did not immediately comment on the drilling ban itself, he took to Truth Social on Monday after the announcement, vowing to reverse any last-minute executive orders.
Meanwhile, environmental groups praised the ban saying it was a win for conservation.
“This move safeguards marine life, coastal communities, and our planet,” the Sierra Club said in a post on X:
🌊 Big news! President Biden just took bold action to protect 625M acres of U.S. oceans from future oil & gas leasing—including the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, & Alaska’s Bering Sea. This move safeguards marine life, coastal communities, & our planet. A win for conservation! 🌎✨… pic.twitter.com/hWmchHoAMx
— Sierra Club (@SierraClub) January 6, 2025
The ban will apply to new projects only. Initiatives already active are not affected by the order.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Community in northern Quebec to make the jump from diesel to hydroelectricity, CBC News
Finland: The world could transition entirely to cheap, safe renewable energy before 2050: Finnish study, Yle News
Norway: Chinese rig finds oil in Barents Sea, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Production comes to halt at Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2: Bloomberg, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish developer GRANGEX buys iron ore mine on Norway’s border to Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: Alaska governor asks Trump to roll back restrictions on oil and gas drilling, The Associated Press
