Trump to 'reverse' Biden offshore drilling protection

Republican president-elect says he will allow oil and gas exploration 'immediately' after inauguration but move probably requires congressional action

US president-elect Donald Trump after speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 7. Reuters

US president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would “reverse” President Joe Biden's protection of US coasts from offshore drilling immediately after he enters office on January 20, despite not having sole authority to overturn them.

The White House said on Monday that it had moved to protect more than 253 million hectares of water from drilling.

“President Biden's actions yesterday … banning offshore drilling will not stand,” Mr Trump told reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “And we will drill, baby, drill.”

Mr Biden took the action under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which allows presidents to remove areas from possible exploitation of offshore resources.

“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,” Mr Biden said in a statement.

“In balancing the many uses and benefits of America's ocean, 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.”

Mr Trump's vow to reverse the move is likely to prove difficult because the act does not grant presidents the power to overturn prior bans, according to a 2019 court ruling. A reversal would require working with Congress – and Mr Trump's Republicans control both chambers.

“We're going to be drilling soon,” Mr Trump said, repeating similar policies supporting offshore oil exploration in his first term in office. “We're going to be opening up things that nobody ever thought was even possible.”

He also announced that his administration would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development, and enact policy to block the building of new windmills.

Mr Trump suggested that his administration would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico, the south-eastern body of water the US shares with Mexico, to the “Gulf of America”.

“We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers lot of territory … the Gulf of America. What a beautiful name, and it's appropriate,” he said.

While he cannot unilaterally make a name change to an international body of water or force other countries to use it, Mr Trump could make federal departments use the term.