On February 19, environmental organizations initiated legal actions contesting President Donald Trump’s decision to overturn bans on offshore drilling, representing the initial legal challenge to his environmental policies during his second term. One of the lawsuits, spearheaded by the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, contends that Trump does not possess the authority to annul the offshore drilling ban established by former President Joe Biden in designated protected coastal waters, as reported by Reuters. Another lawsuit, brought forth by the League of Conservation Voters, aims to restore restrictions on oil leasing across 128 million acres in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, which were originally enacted by former President Barack Obama, according to Reuters.
Before leaving office, Biden had implemented new restrictions on offshore drilling, primarily targeting undeveloped regions. However, Trump swiftly acted to remove those protections through executive orders, with the intention of boosting domestic oil production. The lawsuits, lodged in a federal court in Alaska, assert that permitting drilling in protected waters could jeopardize endangered species, disrupt ecosystems, and adversely affect local communities. Steve Mashuda of Earthjustice remarked to Reuters, “We stopped Trump’s first attempt to undo these protections, and we’re taking him to court again.”
