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A group of Republican-led states on Friday sued the outgoing U.S. president, Joe Biden, over a ban on new offshore oil and gas development along most U.S. coastlines.
The lawsuit, which sought a reversal of Biden’s ban with declaratory and injunctive relief, argued that Biden did not have the authority to impose such a ban, saying that the power to do so rests with the U.S. Congress.
Biden’s move announced on January 6 was considered mostly symbolic, as it will not impact areas where oil and gas development is currently underway, and mainly covers zones where drillers have no important prospects, including in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Biden said the ban, which will affect 625 million acres of ocean, was in line with his agenda to fight climate change.
The Biden administration, which leaves office on January 20 when Republican President-elect, Donald Trump, takes over, has not commented on the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Biden and Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland are defendants, with the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia and Mississippi being the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs also include two trade groups – the American Petroleum Institute and the Gulf Energy Alliance.
However, Trump had said he would move quickly to revoke the ban.
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