The Interior Department took swift action to deliver on President Biden’s campaign pledge to block oil and gas drilling on public lands, freezing such leases for the next 60 days.
An order signed by Acting Secretary Scott de la Vega on Wednesday bars the department from pushing ahead with any new leasing or drilling permits. It also blocks any new major mining actions.
Biden’s climate plan calls for “banning new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters,” a pledge made by each Democratic candidate in the primary after the idea was first proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren
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The 60-day timeline pauses a number of other actions at Interior, including any promotions for department staff or transfer of public lands back to the states.
Biden has nominated Rep. Deb Haaland
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Biden’s climate plan calls for putting the U.S. on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050, an effort that will require reducing use of fossil fuels.
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden said in an October debate with former President Trump
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“It’s a big statement because the oil industry pollutes significantly. … It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.”
