With his days numbered as president of the United States, Joe Biden has announced that offshore drilling for gas and oil will be blocked across hundreds of acres of ocean, including off New Jersey’s coast.
Incoming President Donald Trump said he plans to reverse Biden’s move, but implementing a ban is much simpler than scrapping one.
Biden is using his authority to protect 625 million ocean acres from future gas and oil development. The decision protects the entire East Coast, as well as parts of the West Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” the Democratic president said in a statement. “It is not worth the risks.”
Biden pointed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which claimed lives and spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, as a “solemn reminder” of the costs and risks associated with offshore drilling.
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“President Biden’s action ensures that our coasts are permanently off-limits to ‘drill baby, drill’ exploitation,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. 6th District. “This is a commonsense win for everyone who relies on clean, thriving oceans.”
This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
On a radio program on Monday, Trump called Biden’s move ridiculous and said that he would “unban” offshore drilling in the areas affected by the decision.
Biden’s decision takes advantage of the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which permits presidents to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing. The law does not give presidents the authority to place waters back into development, meaning Trump may have to get Congress involved to reverse Biden’s move.
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How to prepare for winter in NJ: 11 essential gear tips
Because you never know what may happen in the bipolar type of winter we have here, you should always be prepared. Do you want to get through the season without freezing?
I’m going to give you the 11 must-have cold-weather items to survive a New Jersey winter.
Gallery Credit: Judi Franco/New Jersey 101.5
Celebrities who vowed to leave the United States after the election
Rumors are flying that Bruce Springsteen has vowed to leave the country if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election. He didn’t say it.
But false promises of leaving the country if a celebrity didn’t get their way has been a real thing and not always said in jest.
Here’s a list of famous people who promised to leave the country if Trump were elected. I hope you didn’t bet money on them leaving since none did.
Gallery Credit: Jeff Deminski
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