Apr 25, 10:44 PM EDT Newsletter Signup Business Technology World National Media & Culture Opinion Sports Luxury Business By Kalyan Kumar 04/25/19 AT 10:17 PM The Trump administration has shelved its controversial plan to expand oil and gas drilling in much of America’s shoreline including Alaska under its ‘energy dominance’ agenda. The rethink follows a court order rejecting an Executive order of President Donald Trump in this regard. A report by The Wall Street Journal Thursday quoted Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on the administration’s plans to pause the drilling plan. Bernhardt revealed that the court’s decision blocking drilling has forced the agency to call off plans to explore energy in 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf over the next five years. In March, Judge Sharon Gleason for the District Court of Alaska ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order 2017 was null and void. Bernhardt said the court ruling could trigger prolonged appeals process and obstruct the Interior Department’s decision on auctioning offshore areas for drilling. He also acknowledged that opposition from states also mattered. Bid to bypass Obama’s ban order on drilling The executive order had sought to overturn curbs imposed by President Barack Obama on drilling in the canyons of Atlantic and parts of the Arctic. Obama’s ban was to protect polar bears, ice seals, walruses, and the natives of Alaska villages who depend on these animals. Interior spokesperson Molly Block added that in the wake of the recent court decision, “the Department is evaluating all its options to… [Read full story]
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