President Biden withdraws areas off coast of California from drilling

President Joe Biden is withdrawing areas offshore, including those in the Pacific Ocean along the Southern California coast, from all future oil and natural gas leasing on Monday.

California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked President Biden for taking “bold” action. 

“Hundreds of miles of California’s iconic coastline is now fully protected from expanded offshore drilling, thanks to today’s action by President Biden,” Newsom said. “For decades, we have led the fight to protect the Pacific Coast and the millions of Californians who call these coastal communities home.”

The decision is being celebrated by the Secretary of the Interior's office, while incoming President Donald Trump said he will “unban it immediately.” 

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said Monday's action recognizes that the environmental and economic risks and harms resulting from drilling in these areas outweigh any limited fossil fuel resource potential.

"President Biden's actions today are part of our work across this Administration to make bold and enduring changes that recognize the impact of oil and gas drilling on our nation's coastlines," Haaland said in a statement Monday. "Today, the President is taking action that reflects what states, tribes and local communities have shared with us -- a strong and overwhelming need to support resilient oceans and coastlines by protecting them from unnecessary oil and gas development."

The Associated Press reported Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt he has “the right to unban it.” But unless Congress repeals the law Biden used to withdraw the areas for drilling, the ban will remain in effect.

The memoranda issued by Biden withdraws significant portions of the Outer Continental Shelf from future oil and natural gas leasing, including the entire U.S. Pacific and Eastern Atlantic coasts, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the remainder of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area offshore Alaska.

The withdrawal areas encompass more than 625 million acres -- and represent the largest withdrawal in U.S. history.

The withdrawals are expected to help protect coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies -- including fishing, recreation and tourism -- from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling.

According to the Department of the Interior, oil production in 2024 is at an all-time high on federal lands and waters. The Outer Continental Shelf produced about 675 million barrels of oil and 796 billion cubic feet of gas in the fiscal year 2023. It accounted for nearly 14% of all oil production and 2% of natural production in the United States.

The Western and Central Gulf of Mexico areas are responsible for nearly all of oil and gas production.

Additional reporting by City News Service.