{"id":342678,"date":"2024-09-11T17:39:40","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T15:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=342678"},"modified":"2024-09-11T17:39:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T15:39:43","slug":"heres-how-one-biden-appointed-judges-ruling-could-bring-drilling-in-gulf-of-mexico-to-a-halt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=342678","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s How One Biden-Appointed Judge\u2019s Ruling Could Bring Drilling in Gulf of Mexico to A Halt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Daily Caller<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Nick Pope<\/a>
<\/strong>Contributor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single ruling from a judge appointed by President Joe Biden may end up halting oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge Deborah Boardman<\/a>, the Biden-appointed district judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, sided<\/a> with suing environmentalists in August to vacate a key National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) environmental review \u2014 known as a biological opinion \u2014 underlying offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico<\/a>. Unless the federal government manages to revise the biological opinion by Dec. 20, and barring intervention from a higher court or the Congress, the ruling could force offshore oil and gas drilling to grind to a halt as developers decide whether to proceed at their own risk or shut down their operations until a new review is issued, according to multiple energy sector experts and stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe revocation of a duly issued permit such as this on such specious grounds by a single judge places all other duly issued permits in the areas occupied by this endangered and other endangered or threatened species in jeopardy,\u201d David Blackmon, a 40-year veteran of the oil and gas industry who now writes and consults on energy issues, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. \u201cOperators now will have to consider whether they\u2019re willing to risk millions of dollars in capital in projects only to find their own permits being revoked on the whims of a judge sympathetic to the radical climate lobby.\u201d (RELATED: Biden Concedes A Gas Export Approval, But It May Just Be A \u2018Political Tactic\u2019 To Help His VP)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Biden Admin Releases Robust Leasing Schedule For Struggling Green Industry After Issuing Restrictive Oil And Gas Plan https:\/\/t.co\/q4gV9mN71s<\/a>\u2014 Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbsurd judicial decisions like this one threaten to destroy billions of dollars in investments in the U.S. by destroying the ability of companies and investors to have confidence in the proper, consistent application of laws and regulations,\u201d Blackmon added. \u201cUnfortunately, the destruction of this longstanding American advantage to attract capital has been a consistent feature of this administration and the activist judges it favors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest sources of oil and gas in the U.S., with the region providing nearly 15% of all American crude oil production and 5% of total dry natural gas output, according<\/a> to the Energy Information Administration. If it were a country, the Gulf of Mexico would be one of the 12 biggest oil producing states in the world, according to Bloomberg News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico is less carbon-intensive than oil produced elsewhere; one May 2023 analysis<\/a> commissioned by the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) found that oil extracted offshore in the Gulf of Mexico is 46% less carbon-intensive than the global average excluding the U.S. and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biological opinion at the heart of the possible disruption to the industry was issued in 2020, and it assessed how oil and gas operations could potentially impact protected species living in the region, according to Bloomberg. Regulators typically use the biological opinion as a blanket analysis instead of issuing individual assessments on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provided developers are in compliance with the biological opinion, federal regulators had approved \u201ctakes,\u201d meaning that developers are legally permitted to harm or harass a given number of particular species, an official for an industry stakeholder involved in efforts to solve the impasse told the DCNF. Without a valid biological opinion in place to limit liability via these takes, companies \u201cwill have to decide whether they continue to operate at their own risk\u201d or instead cease their operations until the situation is resolved, according to an Aug. 29 memo<\/a> published by Holland & Knight, a major law firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of a solid biological opinion, regulators responsible for approving development in the Gulf of Mexico would also probably have to weigh in on hundreds of different decisions each year, an amount of paperwork that could inundate the regulators, the official for an industry stakeholder told the DCNF. Such an outcome could cause problems for offshore green energy developments, in addition to disrupting things like vessels supplying offshore drilling platforms, operation of existing wells and future offshore oil and gas development, according to Bloomberg. (RELATED: Biden Admin Locks In Skimpiest Offshore Oil And Gas Leasing Schedule In US History As Prices Remain High At The Pump)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Biden Admin Slow Rolls Oil Sanctions Against Russia, Iran In Bid To Keep Gas Prices Down Ahead Of Electionhttps:\/\/t.co\/djI88OrygK<\/a>\u2014 Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The NMFS has started the process of putting together a new biological opinion, but the agency may not be able to complete it until as late as the spring of next year, according to Bloomberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency \u201cis aware of the court\u2019s ruling on Sierra Club et al. v. National Marine Fisheries Service, and [it is] working with [its] federal agency partners on [their] next steps,\u201d a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), of which NMFS is a sub-agency, told the DCNF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environmental groups suing the government over the biological opinion include the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, according to Reuters. Some industry stakeholders, including NOIA and the American Petroleum Institute (API), have intervened in the litigation on the side of the government, according to Bloomberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Sommers, API\u2019s president and CEO, wrote a Friday letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to express his concern about the unfolding legal situation in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithout a solution in place, this decision will create a significant bureaucratic bottleneck for the federal government and potentially halt all oil and natural gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico,\u201d Sommers wrote, adding that \u201cthis court decision has the potential to halt or seriously slow all operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, leaving a critical source of energy supply and economic security in jeopardy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, industry groups and affected corporations are engaged in a lobbying blitz to try to avoid their worst-case scenario, and stakeholders have also communicated with lawmakers\u2019 office in pursuit of a legislative solution, according to Bloomberg.  They are also considering legal strategies for relief if a solution does not come together sooner than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere should be a high level of concern regarding potential disruptions to the energy flow from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, \u201d NOIA President Erik Milito said in a statement shared with the DCNF. \u201cAs it currently sits, the court order related to the Biological Opinion for the Gulf of Mexico energy sector could create roadblocks to continued energy development from the region. Such disruptions would likely cause considerable economic and national security harm to our country \u2026 Given the vital importance of the Gulf of Mexico, we remain optimistic that cooler heads will prevail, and we will see much-needed resolution to this issue through the judicial process, regulatory efforts, or Congressional action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Department of the Interior did not respond to requests for comment. The Department of Justice declined to comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A single ruling from a judge appointed by President Joe Biden may end up halting oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":342682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691823015,691830551,691819148,691818772],"class_list":{"0":"post-342678","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-gulf-of-mexico","9":"tag-offshore-drilling","10":"tag-oil-and-gas","11":"tag-u-s-president-joe-biden","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/0Gulf-of-Mexico-Oil-Rig-Fishing-2048x1365-1.webp?fit=2048%2C1365&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1r94","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":280710,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=280710","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":0},"title":"Judge Blocks Biden\u2019s Unlawful Lease Sale Restriction","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe injunction is a necessary and welcome response from the court to an unnecessary decision by the Biden administration. The removal of millions of highly prospective acres and the imposition of excessive restrictions stemmed from a voluntary agreement with activist groups that circumvented the law, ignored science, and bypassed public\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)\"","block_context":{"text":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bureau-of-ocean-energy-management-boem"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image-802.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image-802.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image-802.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image-802.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image-802.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":209570,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=209570","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":1},"title":"Biden to declare climate emergency? Ban offshore drilling?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guest \u201cJust when you thought he couldn\u2019t get any dumber\u201d by David Middleton Note: I wrote most of this post this morning before Biden delivered his climate emergency remarks in Massachusetts. The final section was written as the remarks were being mumbled and whispered. What it would mean for Biden\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-233.png?fit=616%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-233.png?fit=616%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-233.png?fit=616%2C535&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":200479,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=200479","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":2},"title":"Thanks, Rigzone, For Reporting on the Biden Administration\u2019s Inconsistent, Harmful Energy Policies","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"19\/05\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Rigzone reports the Biden administration\u2019s recent decision to cancel the sale of several offshore oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska is leaving the offshore oil industry concerned about the future of offshore oil exploration and production. Rigzone\u2019s analysis shows the Biden administration\u2019s policies are inconsistent\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/020190601_190731-2-scaled-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/020190601_190731-2-scaled-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/020190601_190731-2-scaled-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/020190601_190731-2-scaled-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/020190601_190731-2-scaled-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":276176,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=276176","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":3},"title":"Oil Group Sues Interior Over Arbitrary Unlawful Restrictions","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"29\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the first things Biden did after occupying the Oval Office was to\u00a0halt oil & gas lease sales\u00a0in the Gulf of Mexico.\u00a0This was illegal. When forced to choose between holding the lease sale, or having the Secretary of the Interior face contempt of court charges,\u00a0they held Sale 257 in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (\u2018BOEM\u2019)\"","block_context":{"text":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (\u2018BOEM\u2019)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bureau-of-ocean-energy-management-boem-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-1060.png?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-1060.png?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-1060.png?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-1060.png?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-1060.png?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":273557,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=273557","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":4},"title":"CNN Credits Biden for Record High US Oil Production","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"CNN Credits Biden for Record High US Oil Production CNN\u2019s Matt Egan must be a very special kind of stupid\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate lockdown\"","block_context":{"text":"climate lockdown","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-lockdown"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-592.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-592.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-592.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image-592.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":206795,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=206795","url_meta":{"origin":342678,"position":5},"title":"Biden Maladministration Lies Again: Draft Offshore Leasing Plan Not Delivered as Promised","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guest \u201cBiden is the Quicker-Fracker-Upper\u201d by David Middleton June 30, 2022Biden administration offshore drilling plan delayedBy Jarrett Renshaw and Nichola GroomJune 30 (Reuters) \u2013 The Biden administration on Thursday delayed the rollout of a proposed five-year offshore oil and gas development plan that\u00a0had been promised by the end of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-13.png?fit=996%2C807&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-13.png?fit=996%2C807&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-13.png?fit=996%2C807&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/image-13.png?fit=996%2C807&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=342678"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":342683,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342678\/revisions\/342683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/342682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=342678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=342678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=342678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}