Federal Judge Stops Biden From Halting New Oil And Gas Leases

Federal Judge Stops Biden From Halting New Oil And Gas Leases

Share to Linkedin A federal judge temporarily stopped President Joe Biden's efforts to freeze sales of leases to drill for oil and natural gas on federal land Tuesday, months after several Republican-controlled states sued the Biden administration over a policy the president cast as an environmental protection move “” but many Republicans viewed as economically disruptive. Oil rigs extract petroleum as the price of crude oil rises to nearly $120 per barrel. In a preliminary injunction issued Tuesday afternoon, Louisiana-based Judge Terry Doughty halted an executive order Biden signed in January that temporarily paused all new oil and gas leases on federal land and in offshore waters. Republican attorneys-general in 14 states “” including the oil-producing hubs of Texas and Louisiana “” sued Biden over the executive order in March. Doughty suggested the Biden administration doesn't have the legal authority to issue a blanket pause on all federal oil and gas leases nationwide, and said the new policy might not have followed federal procedures for changing government regulations. An Interior Department spokesperson told Forbes the agency will comply with the ruling. "This is a victory not only for the rule of law, but also for the thousands of workers who