NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge in Louisiana blocked the Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and waters, and ordered plans continue for lease sales delayed by the administration forthe Gulf of Mexico and Alaska waters. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s decision was a setback for the president’s efforts to transition the nation away from fossil fuels and thereby stave off the negative effects of climate change. Doughty’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed in March by Louisiana Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry and officials in 12 other states. The judge’s decision grants a preliminary injunction that may only temporarily halt the suspension. Biden imposed the moratorium on Jan. 27 via an executive order. The Interior Department later canceled O&G lease sales from public lands through June. The 13 states that sued said the administration bypassed comment periods and other steps required before such delays can be undertaken, and that the moratorium would cost the states money and jobs. Doughty heard arguments in the case last week in Lafayette, La. (Source: The AP 06/15/21)
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